Capitani's metal sculptures are deeply rooted in Midwest manufacturing. He was raised in Kenosha, Wisconsin and chose a career in manufacturing. After NAFTA was enacted in 1994, the Chicago plant Capitani worked at closed and moved to Mexico, prompting him and a friend to open a high-end mailbox company.

The mailbox company was initially successful, but business dropped off and left Capitani in limbo. Shortly after, he purchased some land in Idyllwild, California and has been focused on metalworking art since. He works with scrap metal and enjoys the puzzle and process of creating scrap metal sculpture above all else: "It's 95 percent preparation and 5 percent application."