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LITTLE ITALY NEWS JANUARY 2007 EDITION

www.littleitalytroy.org

HAPPY NEW YEAR

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
12-20-06 Neighborhood Watch Update
This months meeting was held on December 20,
2006 at the Freihofers Race headquarters. The
group had a few new faces including Troy City
Councilman Bill Dunne.
The main topic discussed was the Weed and Seed
grant application. A grant to help more fully develop
the South Central Neighborhood Watch was submitted to the Weed and Seed Committee earlier this
month and, should the grant be approved, there will
be additional training and marketing for our
Neighborhood Watch. Keep your fingers crossed!!
The grant was submitted by Marion Field and the
new Neighborhood Watch Chairperson, Heather
Hamlin.
Please be advised that there have been many cars
ticketed over the last few weeks for parking on the
wrong side of the street. Please take care to park on
the correct side to avoid a fine.
Please be sure to come to the next meeting which is
scheduled for 6:00PM on January 17th at the
Freihofers Race Headquarters at the corner of
HOW TO REACH US
Rocco DeFazio: rdefazio@nycap.rr.com
Jean Krueger:
allblues@verison.net
Charlie Staats: flavourcafe@aol.com
Joely Johnson : jaycubed@earthlink.net
Mike Esposito: socent@june.com
Marion Field:
mvfl406@aol.com
George Regan: george@usatfadir.org
Andrea Daley: adaley7@nycap.rr.com
Heather Hamlin: SCTroywatch@gmail.com
Chris McDonald: Chris.McDonald@troyny.gov

January 17th Meeting

A new year, new chairperson and a new baby
(daughter) for Community Police Officer Chris
McDonald and his wife. Congratulations!!!
There are many issues to address over the winter
months to be ready for spring:
Last year we were rained out on the weekend of our
neighborhood clean up so this year we will start earlier to insure we cover the entire South Central.
We need to wage a war on crime and drugs!! With
our new signs and more eyes watching, maybe we
can make a difference.
Lighting is a big problem in our area. Brighter lights
on houses, alleys and streets are needed.
No problem is too small, garbage, noise, or barking
dogs.
The Community Police, Code Enforcement and the
City of Troy are willing to work with us if they know
where and when the problems occur.

CRIMESTOPPERS: Tips from the

public often help the police to solve
crimes. If you have a tip, call the
Troy Police Department at 270-4411
JANUARY MEETINGS 1/17/2007
**********************
Neighborhood Watch 6 P.M.
Little Italy 7 P.M.
233 4th St (Corner of Washington )

THE TROY LITTLE ITALY

MISSON STATEMENT
Troy Little Italy is a volunteer grass roots non-profit
organization whose purpose is to develop and maintain a healthy and vibrant community in the south
side of Troy, New York.
As residents and business people we believe that the
strength of our past and diversity in people, cultures
and businesses will enable us to make Little Italy a
destination point to which people will come to live,
work and visit.
Goals
To establish Little Italy as an ethnic tourism
destination in Troys Little Italy neighborhood
To insure Troys historic Marketplace as a commercial and neighborhood attraction as it was in
the past.
To insure that our community is a safe place to
work, visit and live.
To keep our neighborhood clean and attractive.
To recognize our individual needs and differences to work together for the common good.
To increase the number of businesses, homeowner, customers and to promote a sense of pride
of ownership of our valuable properties.
To educate and communicate to others about the
wonderful attributes of our community.
To advocate for public services for our community and seek funding for enhancements.
To reduce the number of vacant and substandard
buildings in the community.
To work with landlords to attain responsible tenant quality-housing stock.

Proposed Strategies
Educate the public through the media, advertisements, public meetings, newsletters, etc.
Maintain upgrade and keep our neighborhood
clean and safe.
Increase homeownership in the neighborhood.
Work with other neighborhood associations on
common goals and to lobby our public officials
for more public services.
Report crime and unsafe conditions and insist on
reasonable response.
Lobby for more police protection and code enforcement.

Greetings to Residents and Friends of Little Italy

The mission statement you just read was written
about two years ago and I would like to share with
you our accomplishments. In November 2006 our
newsletter turned one year old. we participated in
the Flag Day Parade, the Victorian Stroll, reinstated
the South Central Neighborhood Watch (sponsored
by Little Italy) and received a CDBG grant for
planters, trash cans and improvements to Liberty
Park. We are in the process of becoming a nonprofit corporation so that we can receive donations
towards our newsletter, partnering with the ICC, the
CYO, houses of worship, businesses and other
organizations to reach our goals.
All this was done through the dedication of our
few but loyal members. Think how much more we
could accomplish if more residents and business
owners attended our meetings. At our January
meeting our 2007 agenda will be drafted to include
the following activities: Statewide Conference in
Endicott, N.Y., a walking tour of our historic sites.
the Flag Day parade, the Victorian Stroll, the ICC
Festival, a Bocce tournament and a few new ideas.
If you are interested in serving on a committee or
have any ideas of your own, please try to attend. We
need your help. If you can not attend but would like
to help, call 518 266 1406 or e-mail
mvf1406@aol.com
Best Regards
Marion FieldTroy Little Italy Chairperson
SPECIAL THANKS
To Mayor Harry Tutunjian, the City Council, and
planning department for their support in our receiving the CDBG grant.
.

Grand opening

Julie Rose and Lesley Kavanaugh celebrate the opening of their new space on 1/08/07 with a ribbon cutting ceremony. Julie does pilates and Lesley does
body massage together in the same space at 97 4th
Street..
2007 STATEWIDE LITTLE ITALY
CONFERENCE
Endicott New York will be the host city for the 2007
statewide conference to be held on Friday June 8th .
Troy Little Italy will be sponsoring a day bus trip.
The speakers, price and times will be announced in a
future issue. Mark your calendar!

ITALIAN TRADITION
Witches are supposed to scare children, but in Italy
on January 5th, children go to sleep hoping that a
witch will visit them during the night. This special
witch, called La Befana, doesnt seek to terrify
children, Entering through the chimney, she leaves
presents in the stockings of the children who have
been good and coal for the ones who have been bad.
The next day is the Epiphany, which marks the end
of the Christmas season and the day that the Three
Wise Men arrived at the manger of Jesus Christ.
One of Italys oldest and most renowned legends,
La Befana is now honored with special events
throughout the country. For more than 30 years the
town of Urbania in the Marches, has held the largest
festival, La Festa Nazionale dela Befana. Over four
days, ending on the Epiphany, the mythical woman
is celebrated with music, markets, shows and other
activities. Many women will dress as La Befana,
who is described as an ugly woman with a big nose
and mole, wears an old colorfully patched coat and
large worn out shoes. They participate in activities
such as kart races and acrobatic performances.
Italian Community Center Events
SATURDAY MARCH 31 2007

NCAA Mens Basketball Final Four Party

Come join us for this fun filled fundraising event!!
4 person Bocce Tournament-$5 per person entry fee
12:00 PM Bread, cheese, Pepperoni, Manhattan
clam chowder
4:30 PM Salad, Ziti and Meatballs, Coffee and Dessert
50/50 Drawing and Door Prizes
6:30 PM Game 1 begins
7:30 PM Home Made Pizza, Chicken Wings
9:00 PM Game 2 begins
$20 a person Includes Draft Beer, Wine and soda
Call Anna Hunt @ 518-274-0508 ext 5 to reserve.
Payment Deadline: March 23, 2007
***3rd Annual Homemade Wine Enthusiasts***
Tasting and Competition
Saturday March 3rd
Entry Participation starts at 2 PM, main agenda
starts at 4:30 PM, Cash Bar Tasting-Door Prizes,
Judging, Award Ceremony and Dinner. $35.00
For Reservations and details regarding entries
Call Anna Hunt: 274-0508 ext 5. Deadline Feb. 27
More details next month

LITTLE ITALY REAL ESTATE

FOR SALE OR FOR RENT
1 FAMILY
$295,000 Tom 391-2494
2 FAMILY
46 Ida Street
$82,900 Leon 727-7493
263 2nd St.
$89,900 Don
320-6862
120 Jefferson St $120,000 Jason 828-7147
72 Hill St.
$34,900 Tom
885-3941
230 1st Street
$124,900 Joe
286-2903
282 4th St.
$99,900 Virginia 640-4520
1016 5th Avenue $109,900 Jane
640-4127
1007 5th Avenue $94,500 Robert 279-3700
MULTI UNITS
263 4th Street
$44,500 John
452-4298
144 Hill Street
$72,000 Bill
577-7798
319 4th Street
$129,000 Jim
588-6755
177 4th Street
$239,900 Barbara 424-5291
316 4th St.
$79,900 Raymond
148 3rd St,
$92,900 Leon
727-7493
COMMERCIAL
1049 5th Avenue $85,000 Jim
464-0876
160 2ND St.

RENTALS
1 bedroom with office, non smoker, no pets $425
plus utilities.
Student rentals, room, fully furnished, utilities included $375
Large space 750 sq. ft. live space and 1700 sq. ft
working space. $975 plus utilities. 4th St. location.
Commercial space near Bocce Courts. 1850 sq. ft.
$750 plus utilities
For more info Call Marion 266-1406.
$600, bright, modern, 2-bedroom apartment in Little Italy,
near DeFazios, Washington Park. Russell Sage,
available February 1. Private entrance and patio, and
one off-street parking space. Apartment has washer,
dryer, new dishwasher, and full-sized refrigerator. Large
bedroom opens onto patio, smaller bedroom could make
a nice office. Tenant pays electric (heat and lights)
and gas (cooking and hot water). Mostly quiet home and
area, mellow landlord lives upstairs. Contact
Joely at 207-6081 or jaycubed@earthlink.net.

TROY LANDLORD TRAINING. Feb. 28 from

5:30-9:30 pm. Learn best practices in rental management, including effective tenant screening, eviction
procedures, local ordinances, and more. Contact
TRIP at 272-8289 x 14 to register.

LITTLE ITALY IN THE NEWS

Compiled by Mike Esposito
Troys Little Italy: a community with spirit, By
Mike Esposito, The Record, December 31, 2006,
p11. A summary of major activities of Troys Little
Italy for the year 2006 emphasizing business community cooperation, marketing the neighborhood and
establishing a neighborhood watch.
Little Italy centers have lots of potential
Times Union, November 28, 2006. Representatives
from Buffalo, Syracuse, Niagara Falls, Rome, Utica,
Endicott, Providence and Troy gathered to plan 2007
statewide conference of Little Italys and discuss
common goal on how to revitalize their ethnic communities as historic districts.
The Daily Historian Photos:
1945 Visk family gathering at 12 Liberty Street submitted by Mary Ann Grogan, December 21, 2006,
p16.
The Records Historian photos,
December 19, 2006:
1915 Andrianna Campana, Angelo, Frank & Anthony Renna submitted by Andrianna Riley
1943 Tony Pascarell & Mary Anne Tornicasa submitted by Mary Anne Grogan
1943 Frank Visk Jr., Bill Pascarell & Mary Anne
Tornicasa submitted by Mary Anne Grogan
1945 Frank Vick Jr., Mickey Visk & Louis Marchese
submitted by Frank Visco
1945 Bill Pascarell, Tony Visk & Tony Pascarell
submitted by Mary Anne Grogan
1962 Bill Pascarell at organizational meeting of the
new Citizens Party submitted by Frank Visco
1962 The Piscitella Family gathering submitted by
Angie Gavin
1969 Adele, Nick, Donna, Helen & Nicolette
Furciniti on Donnas wedding day submitted by Joan
Furciniti
A Sad Good Bye
Troy Little Italy is saddened by the loss of two long
time residents. William Pascerell of Hill Street and
Louis DeMaria of Fourth Street.
They will be missed but not forgotten.

NEIGHBOR HELPING NEIGHBOR

Members of the C R A B Garrison 1954 on Liberty
Street made a generous year end donation of $250 to
St. Marys Soup Kitchen. The Soup Kitchen serves
dinner from 4-5 pm every Wednesday and Thursday. Volunteers are needed and are usually scheduled to work not more then one day a month. If you
have a few hours a month and want to volunteer
please call the Donaghy Parish Center at 272-5820.
In addition, St. Marys Food Pantry received a check
for $2,300 as a result of the Empty Bowl fundraiser
held at the ICC in October. The Food Pantry regularly provides basic food items to assist qualified individuals during times of need. The food pantry and
soup kitchen along with Thanksgiving food baskets
and a Christmas toy drive for youngsters are among
the outreach programs offered by St. Marys made
possible by the support of parish members, students
collecting at their schools, gifts from local organizations and the community at large.
On November 14 the Rensselaer County Legislature
passed a resolution commending St. Marys Church
for their many years of service to the community.
St. Marys was founded by Rev. Peter Havermans in
1843. The priest from Holland served as pastor for
55 years (1843-1897) and has been referred to as
the Father of Troys Catholic Institutions.
St. Marys School administered by the Sisters of
Charity would go on to educate thousands of
neighborhood youngsters during the 125 years of its
existence (1847-1973).
Many years later Father Harry Donaghy from Northern Ireland would have the second longest tenure as
pastor, 22 years (1981-2003), until his untimely
death three years ago. Fr. Harry, a long-time Fourth
Street resident, is fondly remembered as pastor,
counselor, friend and neighbor. He would say that
the primary mission of a church is to be the sign of
Gods presence in the community. St. Marys remains an important part of the South Central/Little
Italy community and includes faithful parishioners
from throughout the Capital region.
St Marys Church will be the site of one of our historic to recognize the work Fr. Havermans.

Community Calendar
TRIP HOMEOWNERSHIP CENTER
Money Smart: Improve your Money Management
2/6 & 2/13 5:30 to 8:30 P.M.
How to Hire a Contractor
2/8 6 to 7:30 P.M.
Home Maintenance Training: Learn Hands-on
Home Repair Skills. Classes run weekly from 2/15
through 3/29 6 to 7:30 P.M.
CONTACT TRIP HOMEOWNERSHIP CENTER
690-0020 TO REGISTER AND GET LOCATION
NewBusiness SouthoftheBorder!
GGs Kaffee is now open for business at the corner of Third and
Madison in South Troy. Gene Perrotti long-time Troy businessman and neighborhood booster is now proud owner of GGs
named for his daughter Gina and son Gino. After extensive renovation a building that sat idle and in ruins for many years in the
Osgood neighborhood just two blocks south of Canal Avenue is
back on the tax rolls as a family business and a welcome sight to
the whole South Central/South Troy community. The new eatery
is open dailyfor breakfast and lunch. and closes at 2 pm. Genehas
operated Perrotti Plumbing for 28 years and has lived in the
neighborhood for over 30 years. One of the features of the new
eaterywillbespecialstogivebacktotheseniorswhogrewupin
theneighborhood.
Weed and Seed
Meetings are held on the 3rd Thursday of every
month. A grant for $175,000 was submitted of which
a portion will be used in our area. Weed and Seed
focuses on crime prevention, citizen safety, and
neighborhood revitalization. The January 18th
meeting will be held at the Rourke Center at 5:30 pm
Residents welcome!! We need your input!!
Garden Bowl 2007
January 27th 2:30-5:30
Uncle Sam Lanes Troy
Capital District Community Gardens is gearing up
for its 10th annual Garden Bowl. Proceeds will benefit a new project called the Veggie Mobile which
will bring produce to inner- city neighborhoods.
Join the fun by organizing a bowling team or joining one of ours. Pledge forms can be found at
www.cdcg.org. Call 274-8685 to register as an
individual or team by January 19th, 2007
Hope to see you there!!!!

Winter Stage Day Program

For students aged 815
February 19-23
9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Classes held in the Schacht Fine Arts Center
Russell Sage College Campus, Troy
$250.00 per student
Applications due January 15th, 2007
Email or call Sara Melita at:
tasdirector@nysti.org
274-3297

Houses of Worship
ST.MARYS CATHOLIC CHURCH
Third & Washington Sts. Troy, NY 12180
Weekend Masses: Sat. 4 P.M. Sun. 10 A.M.
Weekday Masses: Tues., Thurs., Fri 9 am
SOUP KITCHEN: Wed & Thurs, 4-5, ongoing
Volunteers needed.
ST JOHNS EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Corner of 1st and Liberty Street
Sunday services at 8 & 10 A.M.
THE BASEMENT THRIFT SHOP: Wed. & Sat.
9 A.M. Noon, on-going.
ST.ANTHONY OF PADUA SHRINE CHURCH
28 State Street Troy NY 12180
Weekend Masses: Sat., 4:30 pm. Sun. 9am, 10 am
(Spanish), 12 & 5:30 pm
Weekday Masses: Mon. Thurs. 7:15am & 12 pm
ST. ANNS MARONITE
184 Fourth Street
Mass: Saturday 4 p.m. (except 1st sat. of month)
Sunday 11 p.m.
BETH TEPHILAH SYNOGOGUE
82 River Street
Saturday 10 a.m. Service
CONGREGATION BERITH SHOLOM
167 Third Street
Friday Service 7:30 p.m.
UNITED ORDAINED CHURCH OF CHRIST
Sunday: 10 a.m. Sunday School , 11 a.m. Worship
Wednesday: 6:30 p.m. Bible Class

We Saw ** We clicked Great Job

Very
Festive

The above photo is the winner for the Most Creative in the
widow decorating contest of the Victorian Stoll, 2006

Flavour Cafe
Congratulations Charlie and Joe!

A big Thank You to Joely Johnson and Will Gill for

participating in this years Victorian Stroll window decorating for Troy Little Italy

Times Unions Window, River Street