Arriving in the United States in 1961 from Calabria, Italy, the  Ranieri's worked for a sculpture casting company until they were able to open their own shop in a loft on Christie Street. Raffaele found his greatest satisfaction in ornamental work, a family trade for generations. His decorative detail on buildings and elaborate monuments for graves and fountains resulted in commissions in numerous European cities in styles ranging from Romanesque and Gothic to Italian Modern.

Ranieri Sculpture Casting is the final stop in the realization of a piece of sculpture. When an artist brings a clay sculpture to be cast in a more  permanent material, they make a mold from the original and cast the piece in a variety of materials such as plaster, rubber, bonded bronze or cement. Ranieri has even developed a plastic casting material which looks like marble.