After World War I, the Dravo Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania expanded operations and built a barge assembly plant on the Delaware river at Madison and Beech streets. The U.S. Navy contracted with Dravo to build over 100 landing ships and destroyer escorts for the North African and European campaigns during World War II. At the height of its operation, the plant's workers built one landing ship per week and employed over 10,500 people.

Nicholas Pettoruto, the son of Italian immigrants and a Wilmington resident, worked as an electrician in the North Yard at Dravo for three years. He recalled

Men who were working in industry were exempt from military service because they were performing essential work. Pettoruto recognized the importance of his contribution to the war effort when he talked about going on a "shakedown cruise" aboard one of the vessels he helped construct. "I'm proud of that DE99," he said. "I guess I'm proud of all the ships that I worked on."

The U.S. Government awarded Dravo distinctions for efficiency and safety during the World War II. The postwar years, however, brought about a drastic decline in production, and the plant closed in 1965. Dravo's former Structural, Machine and Assembly Shop building is now the FirstUSA Riverfront Arts Center in Wilmington.

A booklet, Reflections of Dravo, by Richard J. Urban, published by the Historical Society of Delaware and the Riverfront Development Corporation in 2001, is available at The histrocial Society of Delaware.