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Preservationeady/An mptyWestSidehousewith a poignant toryBY DA\ZE SET{INARA

The four-family house at 443 ProspectAvenue looks likesomething out'of a Stephen Kins n^ovel.The structure's woodplank front steps are pdeling, thdporch's floorboards are-oming

apart, the ceifingsaird walls are rotting. and severalwindows are crackedor-boarded up. NeishborT sav that theplacewas glle.a crack house,but it has flong been"empty.Built in 1920, in what was then a thrivins ftalian-Am'errcanneighborhoodr 443 Prospect was once a feautiful home.I l l rou-. trecause n1\' nrothcr'. , loalu le

Senri l l i l l 'a . uo\1 ' severltr--e ieht ancl l i r ' -ine in \\- i l l ianrsvi l le . sre\\ ' t rp there inthe 193{)s and '-10s. She movecl otr t in1950 zrnd has tlr iverr trr ' the pluce on aharrdtu l of occasio l ls . never gett ing ou tftrr a closer lool i . On a ntuggv dav inAugust. \ \ 'e q 'ent bacl i to -1{3 Prospectto f ind out u 'hat u 'as le f t of the inrpos-ing house arrd srlr trpttrotrs garclcrr n l\ 'nrother renlenlbered so fr:rrcllr ' .

] lv nrother 's grandfather. LeonarcklI l i forg iato. enrigmtecl to l l tr f fa lo in 190t)at age thiril- fronr I{otrtemaggiore l3els i-to. a picttrresqlle brrt poor village irr Sic-i l r - 's r trgged irr ter ior. I t 's a l\ \ ' i lys been aharcl place to rnalie n l iv ing. arrd egions ofi ts residents have been conri l tg to Btrf fa lofor more than zl hundrecl vears in searclrof better l ives. I v is i ted l lontenrasqiore

l3els ito irr I006. ancl nearl l ' cver\ ' ()ne Imet there u'anted to te l l rne rrbout theirrelatives in "lJoo-ta lr- lc lh.

Itiforuiatrl u' lrs il srlrvivor'. ' l\r 'o of hi sbrothers cliecl during the (]reat lllf ' luen-zr,rc->t918-L9L9 thrl t l i i l lec l l l ror.e thantn'entv nri l l i { } l t people u'or lc ln- ic le. .lohnI{ i forg iato. trr 'entr ' -s ix. c l iec l t \ \ 'o c l*rvsafter catching the fln: clavs later. l. ' l ' itnli.th ir t l ' . gr ievirrg zrnd cle l ir io trs. iunrlreclthrotrgh & closecl n ' incklu ' ir t ( lo lr ln t-brrs Ikrspitu l ancl clied hotrrs later tr.onrhis injuries. n-hich inclrrc lcd :r ti 'zrcturetls l irr l l . -\ccording to a storv in the l lu.f-- fu lo l)cr i l l ' Cottr ier. c latecl , l : rntrar]- 2,3.1919. Len arrc l h is tu 'o chi ldren. l lh i lo-n le l la (rnv grandrrrother) zrnd l.-r ' i ln l i .\\ 'erc. " i11 l precilrir)1ls state ancl tiehtingfc lr their lives."

The ekler Ritoruiuto and his chilclrcrr

strrv ivecl. tr tr t the death of h is trroth-ers left h irn shorthandecl at the tanti lr ' -ou 'ned nen'sstancl he ran at the col ' l le l"of } Ia i l l u t lrd Cotrrt s trects frour 1914tn r t i l he ret ircc l irr 1955. ' l 'he fnrni lv hadbeen sharecroplJers in \fontentaggiore.but in l ir f fa lo ther- nrade a respectableI i l ing sel l ing uel l 'spapet 's , nraQzrzines.ztntl conric boolis . Rifr lr{ iu to u 'as prouclof the fact t lrat h is o ldest sorl. F' ranl i .trecarne a c loctor u- i th a thr ir- ing prac-tice on \iagara Street. zlncl his 1'oultgl's() l ls . Steve i tr tc l lo l trr . l recaule success-ftrl businessmen.

In 1933. Riforeiato borrght the houseat -{33 Prospect at the barsairr foreclo-s ln 'e price of S7.J25 in the rn idcl lc oft lre Great Depression. -\ccorclins to c itvrecorcls. the honre had titur apartnrents{ lcross 1.6t)2 square feet: the tu-o sec-oncl- t loor units re lt ted for tn 'entr ' - f iveclo l l :rrs each. the lorvel ' rrn its n 'ent fo rtu'entv dollzrrs. Riforg iato and his u'ife.Rosaria. l ivecl iu one of the seconcl tloor'rtpartrnents and rerrtcd the other threeto relat ives. Iriye vears lnter ' . nrv nroth-er and her fanri lv nrovecl fronr theirhr-ltrsc on -\r l i i l l lsas Street to the first-floor tn'o-beclroorn turit.

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\ \ 'hc ' *-e p ' l l 'p i' f r ' ' t *f the , lc lhotrsc 'n l'r '*spect ,\r 'cn 'e the dav aftcr.nt\ ' r1 l{} t l ier 's b ir thdar- in r\r .r*ust. I r , , . , *to coirx hcr- otr t of the cur." l c i lr l sce it front l tcre." shc sft\ .s .I irs isr ir 'd she rer 'c t.nt lr- frr i lor 'srrrc ul l f . , the fr 'n t c l '0rs. ' l 'he ho,sehas i l r l * ir ' .f shabtrr- rcstr ]cctabi l i t '* 'he ' r ' ic* 'cr l frr lrrr ,, , t is tance. i lu t thccl,ser * 'c gcf to i f . thc * '*rse i t lool is .TI re d' ' rs arc rott ing. thc sid ing lcol isf i l thr ' . * rc l fhc p'rch * r l r l s teps'rcst ir inccl ancl pecl ing. \ \ 'c ckrrr ' t ha 'e tt rl i l rocl i to l inr lq ' that the lr lzrcc has becrrzt l ; l r rrc lorreclor n klng tinre.Stnndirrg r l r r thc cr.unrbl irrg tr ;or-c lr .l l l \ - r l lo thcr savs. "1-his is u ' l tcrc \-{}1n..- \ ' r r t { ; l r r" i l r ^ 'd I 'ser l t * 1r l ,rr , . \ \ .ecal led it Ycrancla l le lrch. I r * ' i rs oirr . I i t -t lc space \\b trsed tt; u'ait r i th t here oul;r' iclav afternr)olls lor { irnrrr l l ra t. conrc

Ir'*re f*r'r *''r.li rrecatrsere let 's reaclhis c*nric hoclis fi'orn the neu-sstancl. \- cr l id* ' t ha'e a i l \ ' in those cla 's . so that\\ ' i ls {}r.u'errtcrtainnreilt .ISut $.e hflcl 0be c^r-ef ' l * ' i th theur bec.a'sehe'd bringthc*r b:rcli * t irc ne*'ssta'cl on Jlandar-sto scl l thern. . '][r" *r*ther *ys that Leo \1-ils o fi. 'qul.he r\ ' { }* ld1: l r tchholes i* his shoe *. i t l rpieccs eif c*r 'clbo'r 'd .ther tharr replacct lre slrr les. hr ' lhrirsrl.r ' nfte "rooltrs lrrr_ing f lre rf lr '.u'he* nrcat *-as atioued.hc'dtrrkenl' ru{}ul ard rre -sisfer. i lr lr ia. anclt lrcir l i t t lc hr't lrer".saur. o Canacla o bu ynrcat: n t lrc sunlnler". lrcr- 'd {} to crvstr i lI lc*ch f 'r ' l r s*' ir*. I Ie *-rr l ied harcl. l*t i"r)n slrt trrdrry r i ig i l ts . { i lcr i r r i rnc l l t )nnnc1\"e. I 'eest r ) { r r rs i l l lcor" l r r rn. i r rg is rr .cc l i_trr ' nth. lIe li l iccl ro h;rverhcnr f i l l the ttrbu-ith li l lsr l l l t sit l tsbecn*schc stoociorrtsiclein tlrc cokl :rll ilar'. rrn*"liirlgr-lnrltlrs.Betails f the vacant tructure; rchivalrnages f Joanne ndSlsria tiforgiato

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7L6Their u 'or lc l \ \ 'as ver) 'snta l l .

,kr irnnt: arrr l Glor irr u 'ent to schoolat [{o lr ' - \rrgels arrc l their n lonl.I ' }h i loureni l . \ \ 'o tr lc ln ' t le t thenrstrzn' far froru horne fr lr feal" her"rlcatc lr pol io. ' f l rer- cotr l t l l level-afford to eat out btr t thel 'e \\ 'e l 'csiurple pleasrrrcs iu the neighbor-hood-lcnrorr icc ' zrt \ l t rscnrel lus.basl iet cheese frorn ] ler l inos. orfresh brc 'acl u ' i th ol ive o i l fronrClrr is t iano s lJal icn ' ." \ iru l ineu'n 'hen thev ha d. i t rs t l l i r l ied fresh breacl. ' " nt vrt tothel ' recrr l ls . "\ \ 'e could snrelli t f ront thc virrc l."

^ \ rre iehbor sees ussntloping iu '0trrrc l infront of the house ztuclintrot luces herself ." ' -vo one s l ived tl teresirrcc t l re cighties." sh esitvs. "- fh ir tgs got barli l l '0 trrrc l herc ztt thatt irnc. l)r trgs \ \-e l 'c cvel'\ '-n'herc. 'fhe tcrurrrts rr'ererurrn ing a cr i lc l i housc.DE^\ irgents ci lnte. I th in l ii t \ f i ls irr ' f i5 0l 'n lzt\ ' -l re 'S6: the.r ' bro l ie clou 'rrt lre door. sr l l i ts lrecl ou tn ' inc lou 's. \o orrc 's l ivedthcrc since. -\ l i t t le olc ll t i r l i i t r r l l l i ln st i l l ou ' rrs th cplacc. anrl h is son cornesbv to cut t l te gl 'ass. "' l 'he neiqhbor (n 'hrrc loesn' t \ \ ' i l l t t her nal l lel trr l l l ishecl) s i l \ 's th ir t after a th l-ce-\-e iu--o l t l q ir l \ \ ' i ts shot c leacl r ight in fr"orrtof a clrurch arourrc l the cor-nel. in theIate eisht ies. thc l lo l ice started to slon'-1r ' c lc iu l u l) thc neighbor.hootl . " ' l 'hcseclavs. t 's n icc r t r t t l r1tr ic t." s l lc s ir \-s.] lv rrrother lnel l t ions that Lco tt;o l iurct ic tr lous ci l l 'e of rr garclerr he nraclen'ith his ou'n hrrncls n thc bzrcl l-ar-c l." [ ,et 's g() see n'hat hitp l lcnecl t r ) i t . "I s in ' . trcstrrzrssirrg rr-otrncl lre sic le ofthe housc. z l l l ( l rrrv rnonl l l r - ie t1r- ; lr . icctsbefr lre to l lon ' i l lg nte.

1\r-o of the bzrcli *' inclon-s i l l -e boart l-cc l trp. but $ 'e cuutst i l l see thzrt the intc-r ior of the hotrse is a rott ine lness. prutas n'e n 'a l l i t t>n 'arc l a chzrin- l in l i fcnccrre irr t lrc rcal 'o f the varcl. l l lv nrothcrspots e trstcr"s of health l-- loc l l i i r rg gl.ecngl' ilpes spi l l inu ovel' the fence.' " I I) ' grr lnclfat lrer 's grapes " slteexcltr irns. " ' f her"rc st i l l her-e I e trscr lto rrra l ic * ' inc btrt he n'zrs he clrr l \- on eirr thc rreiehborhor-rcl n'ho l i l iec l i t . Thcr-usecl fo te l l h inr. \ ' ( )u could ptrt 7-t-11 ni t or nsc i t to clczrn the pitr les. recause i ttastecl invt ir l . "' l 'he gate is pzrc l locl iecl. so \ \ -e ci ln ' tc l t ter Leo's garclen. btrt i t 's clear t l tat i t 'sst i l l i r r t i rc t-a bit

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7L6, ; \ lesi clisputs he nei$hbor's_ , lairns ; Place has fallen into disrepair* I lesi j not {oing to rnake the sarle nistakethat the place hacl been a crack ltouse i rvarnecl rle rhat he s'oulclni let me see I ,rrt"J." tr" uaa..and Nas eltptl' for nearll', hirt1' 1'ears. i the insitle of thc' hotrse because i u ns i -yesi alsg clailrs that he ytla.s to tix"lt $'asa poor farnil l ' l iv ing ttrele- : "terr iblc"-and savs that it needs nt the place up and rent it agailt . t lo'AhPtterto Ricans rvlto u'ere otr $'elfare." least 5-10.000n repairs o rnalie t hab- i he has 1o t imetable a't l adrtr its th: lthe sa1's. Police cattre artclwere stnash- itablc'. ; the lnath is darrnting. ..1coull pr'bablvTtg " t,lu:t::. att{,f r;al.1ingdon'n tlte I .'.l eetealls ronr investorsevervdav I gct s-100 nronrh br.eaehopnrr,rr",*.r l r .rr trr tstt tidoor. but thev didn't f iud no drrtss. rtsl i ingme to sell. but I 'm not eoing tir I ivhich is. '11. s1.600 a rronth total. ',Thev n'ere srrpposed o I'eplace he s'iIr- gilc' it a\\'{r}' to thern." hc sals. "ihe , hc s:r1.s.\t that rate, it *,ould talie lir'do$'s' but tlrel' nel'er ditl." i neiglrborhood is going up anclno$' peo- ] ,r',unljl'"n., to recorrp he repair.expens--\ searclrof the Brftllrlo -\-etos_archive,s ple s'ant to come bacli,.' i cs. Ilut l.hen I returrr to thJ questirtn ofrevealsthat threepersons. . loseaucl } lesisa] 'sthath isnrother lurdrecent -shvhc'sha4thepropcrs. t i r ra l l these'leanetteColoil antl Jttan lendez. 'ere lv cliedat l0l. and hc hatlelrecl n sell- i t"rirc u.ithno tenants.he starts alliinri rrrLrruez. rrsrs rr urs(r.t rul . i l l ( r lc ni lc et.fect ln sel l_ i ] ,ca t .s $.i th i lo te [a l t ts . he starts tal l i ingarrested at -l-13Prospect and char$ed irtg her housc in thc neiehborhood for j aborrt I-eg'sgar-cle1. 'd it srx'rdecl lilie\-ith second-clegree critDirlal p()sses- ' ortlv s?0.000. .\ tlevelolrel nrtle sonre ] rr" ,-r,,t,."i"rr.io1'sa'i.g this ft,rtile littlesion of a corrtrolled substance atrclpos- i repairs and t'liplrecl the place. Eetting I ilrban oasis all to hinrself.sessionof dnrSlrackaginmater ialson , 5169.00() ust months lzrter. . . I .ur . ,1 o or.er to the horrse to g0 u\et_ to t| le l tolrse tollarclt 23' 199-l' Police fbrrnd tluan- ...-'*,f*ffiFffa' ger nl ' ronraroe's.ur\' zrrcchini.

lrci.'ffilrrc.]orm,T}.PT,::::':]ill],:,l,]:.;:]:,:,:,:::i':,il',l.lj,^'hether this rr 'as he ildcrrttlterreit|rbor.";;ii:;iWi,*;ffi'.l'-*#$ry.'flffih'i"."iliIi.:I$ is unclear.Err".i"rainrsthattlrcirci*-mw:*ld.T:"f.*:l. ' i}ff ifr..l ' ;; i l:.; ' ' i ..::; i i."1l:, l l i l '.9 ,

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