Master Builder, A&E's Sell this House Extreme
With close to 30 years in the
construction business, he can do anything – and do
it himself. His brawn is considerable – aee Charlie
tear down walls! – but so are his brains.
A native of the tough Canarsie section of
Brooklyn, New York. Due to his low-esteem and lack of self confidence in his Youth, Charlie was frequently bullied and
was even beat up on the subway going home from
school. Yet, these experiences helped transform him
and he vowed it would never happen, again.
Despite his
parents’ skepticism, that he would get into Brooklyn
Technical High School, to study engineering. He graduated from Brooklyn Tech and was enrolled
in the prestigious Polytechnic Institute in his home
borough when, overnight in 1979, 52 U.S. citizens
were taken hostage at the American Embassy in Iran.
Charlie immediately enrolled in the Marine Corps at
Parris Island, South Carolina, where he says the
training "cemented" the changes that were evolving
in his personality – learning to protect himself,
and to control fear.
His father, also a Marine, had
given him some advice – "Shut your mouth, do what
you’re told, and never complain if you get hit."
Charlie graduated first in his class at boot camp,
and was "one of the few who took it and came back
for more."
Trained as a jungle expert in Panama and the
Philippines, he served in Cuba, Panama, Philippines,
Okinawa, mainland Japan, and various bases
throughout the United States. Meritorious rank
promotions saw him move from Infantryman to
Intelligence Specialist to STANO Platoon Sergeant,
and Drug and Alcohol Officer, receiving the
prestigious title of Honor Man in Boot Camp and
earning the meritorious ranks of PFC and Sgt.
Upon returning to New York after his tour with
the Marines, Charlie tried resuming college and
doing freelance construction work, but he elected to
drop out again, thereby "learning more," he says,
"than I ever could have by going to school." He
started doing underground and road work, displaying
a resourcefulness that amazed his superiors.
After 10 years, he had reached the pinnacle in heavy/highway construction when he elected to move into the building trade, essentially starting over.
After 10 years, he had reached the pinnacle in heavy/highway construction when he elected to move into the building trade, essentially starting over.
Charlie’s drive, intelligence – and loud Brooklyn
mouth (partly due to hearing loss brought on by
Marine training as well as construction work) –
moved him along quickly. Though he had to learn a
new set of guidelines, nomenclature and procedures,
he watched, listened, studied his college texts,
asked questions, and, above all, followed his Dad’s
Marine Corps advice – eventually becoming a Project
Executive on major building projects in New York
City, including the Sky View Parc Project, a 3.3
million square foot project budgeted at $1.1
billion. Charlie had to inspire, upbraid and control
hundreds of workers, facing down guidelines with
talented, hand-picked supervisors and team leaders.
Charlie takes special pride in his role as
Director of Capital Projects for $450 million in
capital projects at the renowned New York Botanical
Gardens, one of the most prestigious horticultural
institutions in the world. The quintessential
project there was the 1997 restoration of the Enid
Haupt Conservatory, bringing the beautiful Victorian
greenhouse, originally built in 1902, into modern
times, earning him acclaim for integrating a
sophisticated climate-control system into an antique
structure (one eighth of an inch of glass separating
a desert climate from the outside environment).
When a friend of Charlie’s learned that Discovery
Channel was searching for a character for its
Construction Intervention series, a video made
on-site at the Sky View Parc project sealed the
deal. Though the series was eventually cancelled,
Charlie caught the reality TV bug and was eventually
signed by A&E for Sell This House Extreme.
Recently, one Construction Developer, accused him of
going from "mud to makeup," which Charlie takes in
stride. Once again, he is reinventing himself, this
time for a large audience that has much to learn
from his experience. A bit shocked to have "no power
or supervisory responsibility, which is totally
against my personality and work ethic," he knows he
has much to learn about TV and the Charlie Frattini
character that viewers have come to know, fear, and
love.
For Charlie Frattini, who lived through the
horrors of 9/11 in New York (and was cited for his
contributions but is not comfortable talking about
them), there is a joy in being Mr. Extreme – one who
can bellow, show off, clown around, laugh, tear down
walls, and "help fellow Americans sell their homes
and move on to the next phase in their lives."
With the never ending support of his wife, of 30
years, Charlie claims "I am working once more to
reinvent myself," TV viewers and fans might
unanimously agree that he’s already done it once
again.
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