A proud son of Calvello in the Basilicata region’s province of Potenza, John Tortorella has authored a classic American immigrant success story. After working his way through college by cleaning swimming pools, John used his experience and insight to start a pool construction company that’s evolved into the Tortorella Group, a $23 million family of businesses with a workforce of nearly 175 It all began when John immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 11, and worked alongside his father, a mason by trade, while attending school. As he went on to college at New York Institute of Technology, John began cleaning swimming pools to earn money. In the process, he recognized needs in the market that were not being met: He saw a lack of creativity, quality, and dedication in the swimming pool business. After graduating from NYIT in 1981 with a degree in business and marketing, he founded J. Tortorella Pools and set out to transform an industry. Attracting skilled laborers to his new company, John created a business that could handle all facets of pool construction, from permit applications and design to masonry and landscape design.

Despite humble beginnings – and the great effort it took to secure financial backing – John leveraged the knowledge he had gained while cleaning pools and his unwavering entrepreneurial spirit to become a recognized leader in both the pool construction industry and in the Long Island, New York region he calls home.

During the past four decades, he has successfully expanded his business beyond construction to continue to meet evolving client demands and market opportunities, servicing all water features, pool and home heating installation and repairs, as well as propane and bulk chemical delivery.  Moving into the next chapter in 2022, the pool service, construction, heating and chemical entities were transitioned to new owners, now where John can focus on his most recent endeavor Elliptic Works.

He became a founding member of Elliptic Works LLC, which explores underwater applications for the Internet of Things using patent-pending technology based on visible light communications (VLC).

John and his work have been showcased in Forbes, House & Gardens and The New York Times, and J. Tortorella Pools is regularly ranked among the nation’s top 50 builders by Pool and Spa News.

Committed to the growth, fair regulation, and professionalism of the pool construction industry, John has served as the president and board member of the Long Island Chapter of the National Spa and Pool Institute (NSPI), and is a founding member of the Southampton Business Alliance. He also is active in local civic life, contributing to Independent Group Home Living, the American Heart Association, Camp Paquatuck, Goodfellows, and other worthy organizations.

John and his wife, Terry, live in Southampton, and are the parents of three sons and grandparents of four.