Mark Mariani is perhaps best known as a property developer and builder based in Greenwich, Connecticut. But that definition does little to adequately describe his gargantuan talents and skill sets, which range from home design to outdoor haven design, to speed-building massive mansions for the rich, famous, and impatient.
A man with a vision, Mariani is able to masterfully create and execute plans on a scale that few of us will ever experience in our lifetimes. That’s to say, Mariani can design and build a 24,000-square-foot luxury home in half the time of a typical mega project of that size. This is such an impressive feat that people have bet against him and his abilities – to the tune of $10,000 – and naturally, they’ve lost.
So how does he do it?
By staying organized, planning every detail, and sheer determination, Mariani has achieved what others simply can’t. He preorders everything that he will need before he breaks ground, employs hundreds of workers willing to work around the clock, and maintains relationships with suppliers that allow him to access materials on Sundays if he so requires.
This relentless work ethic combined with his God-given design talents have put Mariani in a class by himself, which in Greenwich, says a lot. Since the 1920s, Greenwich has been known as “the richest town per capita in the world,” and not much has changed in the last hundred years. Although the original Greenwich millionaires were industrialists, and the millionaires of today are hedge fund managers, they have all shared a love of manor homes and opulence.
Hailing from the Bronx, Mariani came of age in Armonk, New York, where he spent most of his childhood perched in trees, observing nature. As a teenager, he turned to landscaping and construction jobs, where his willingness to work hard and his ability to envision the end product set him apart from his much older coworkers. He saved his money and began to accumulate properties.
Mark Mariani, Inc.
Forty years ago, at the tender age of 21, Mariani founded Mark Mariani, Inc., his landscape and home design firm. He is now based in Greenwich, with a location in West Harrison, New York. Throughout his award-winning career, Mariani has pushed the limits of possibility for both design and development schedules, making a name for himself in one of the most elite circles in the United States.
After traveling to Europe in his youth, Mariani has been able to bring a well-rounded and mature approach to all of his projects, creating a signature style that is emulated from Greenwich to the Hamptons. In a Mariani project, no stone is left unturned. Every inch of the multi-acre pastoral estates are transformed to create true masterpieces.
Mariani calls branching out on his own, “a true and momentous turning point in my career and life.” After working for years as a preteen and teenager as a subcontractor for a variety of builders as a landscaper, mason, and excavator, choosing to become an entrepreneur was a difficult decision for the young man. Ultimately, he knew that he could exceed the level of success enjoyed by his previous employers.
“My success is driven by my passion,” Mariani says of his work. “I love what I do and the people I do it with. I have a deep and unending excitement for landscape and home design. I also believed I could redefine both not out of arrogance, but born from the way I viewed and experienced nature and its possible impact on man.”
By never becoming complacent, evolving and changing with the times, and making every moment of every day productive, Mariani has operated at the highest level for his entire professional life.
“To be successful, the best at anything, you have to be passionate and excited about what you are doing. Becoming iconic, masterful, and unique also requires courage; to advocate, and create, possibly outside the norm, with a masterful style, requires laser focus, tireless energy, and an unwavering commitment to do what you know and feel is harmonious, beautiful, and perfect. Each day, I put my head down to this goal, and nothing stops me,” he says eloquently.
Living Out His Dream
By forging his own path, he has been able to live a life without regrets: “I would do nothing differently because sometimes the mightiest challenge becomes the most unexpected and important new vision for my work. I don’t regret anything I have done. I only regret things I haven’t done. The setbacks and mistakes can be and have been more beneficial than the accomplishments.”