For Damian Amuso, it marked his third official invitation, an extraordinary milestone in itself as no other Australian team had ever been invited three times.

Spec Mix Bricklayer 500 is the largest and longest-running bricklaying competition in the world, held as part of the World of Concrete international tradeshow.

In one hour of competition, Damian and his mason tender, Scott Law, laid 737 bricks—an impressive result considering that on a standard building site a bricklayer typically lays between 500-700 bricks in an entire working day.

While the result was not enough to secure the top spot on the podium, the performance was of the highest calibre.

“The judges told us how close we were,” says Tara Amuso, Damian’s wife

The departure for the United States came at a delicate time for the family. On January 9, Damian’s nonna, Clara, passed away.

Her funeral was held on January 17, and the following day the team left for the US—a journey marked by mixed emotions, balancing grief and focus.

This third experience in Las Vegas was different for another reason: Team Amuso is now well known within the industry.

In addition to the competition, Damian and Scott attended several sector events and even contributed to a special initiative the day before the contest, helping prepare the courses for a world record attempt at the highest number of bricks laid in a single day.

Then there is the pride in their heritage. The team always competes wearing jerseys bearing the Amuso name, a clear tribute to the family’s Italian roots. In the United States, this detail does not go unnoticed.

“A member of the local community, also of Italian background, jokingly nicknamed Damian ‘FBI’,” Tara explains.

“Not Federal Bureau of Investigation, but Full Blooded Italian.” A light-hearted way to acknowledge and celebrate a shared identity.

The dream of competing in this event dates back more than 20 years, when he first saw it during vocational school. He realised that dream in 2019 and today continues to pursue it with the same determination.

For him, seeing the family surname printed on a jersey and projected onto the screens of an international event represents respect for his own history.

“It’s not just a competition,” Tara concludes. “It’s a way to honour our name and show where we come from.”