Rossi, according to historical accounts, came to America around 1870 and became involved in the business of smelting titaniferous ores - iron ores containing titanium - into pig iron at a blast-furnace operation located in Boonton, NJ. Rossi gained a reputation as an authority on such smelting processes, and joined a business venture that around 1890 built a blast furnace at Buffalo, NY, where titaniferous ores were smelted. Rossi secured patents on these smelting processes and the manufacture of various titanium alloys.