 
Little Italy Real Estate
Q: What have the sales prices been in the area?
A: This area has seen a substantial increase in demand and value. The sales prices of settled properties were as follows:
- Residential Real Estate
$55,000 - $500,000's
- Investment Properties
$120,000 - $270,000
- Commercial Real Estate
$120,000 - $175,000
The DOM (The Days on the Market) had ranged from 1 Day to 145. A vast majority has been 1 to 30 days and in the last few weeks the market has picked up and some lucky home owners had multiple offers as the March Market has now arrived.
 For more information on Real Estate,
Call Martha at 302-234-6022
Email: mpatterson@psre.com
Little It aly wins tourism award!
Little Italy was voted "Most Improved Tourism Product" by the the Delaware Department of Tourism at its gala event in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The award acknowledges the development of a new tourism product or enhanced presentation of and existing visitor offering.
The judges "were amazed at the rapid transformation and were pleased with the addition of an arch and banners to welcome the visitors".
ASSERTIVE STYLE BRINGS BENEFITS TO LITTLE ITALY
by Adam Taylor
A customer at Pastabilities recently detailed his medical woes to owner Luigi Vitrone.
The Wilmington restauranter's immediate reply was, "Don't be afraid to call again and again if they're not answering your questions."
That peice of advice would come as no surprise to elected officials familiar with Vitrone, the president of the Little Italy Neighborhood Association.
After logging nearly 100 hours a week on the job, Vitrone said he does not have time to be shy with the politicians he incessantly lobbies to promote his neighborhood.
Some of the officials said they cannot believe that Vitrone dedicates only 12 hours or so to the neighborhood group each week.
"I go to sleep at night counting Luigis," said John Rago, the city goverment's liason to Little Italy.
Rago said that although Vitrone is a gnat in the city government's ear, he manages to be gracious about it.
"He drags you to a three-hour meeting Tuesday night, but there's always a thank-you on your voice mail Wednesday morning," he said.
Vitrone is unapologetic about his style, even though he said it once resulted in him being officially barred from the Louis R. Redding City/County Building. For a few years, he would have a city employee come outside to pick up whatever paperwork he needed to deliver.
"I'm agressive, but we're a group of business owners and residents with a lot to offer and a lot at stake," he said. "We want Little Italy to be the next Trolley Square and bring people to Wilmington the way the riverfront and downtown does."
Vitrone has been the president of the neighborhood group since 1999. He's been active for years and was part of the five-year effort to complete the $3 million Little Italy Neighborhood Revitilization project.
The project brought to Little Italy an arch over Lincoln Street at Fourth Street, 136 turn-of-the-century banners that hang throughout the west Wilmington neighborhood and brick sidewalk borders.
Vitrone succeeded photographer Rudy Foschi as president when the project was nearing its end.
"Luigi and his personality took over at a perfect time, after it had been revitalized," Foschi said. "He is good at public relations and takes it seriously."
Foschi and Vitrone hired a marketing firm to promote Little Italy and helped a group crete a Web site, www.discoverlittleitaly.com.
Vitrone said he is looking for money to pay for multi-colored sidewalks, properties to convert into parking facilities and more police patrols.
"The restaurant serves as a nice backdrop for that," he said. "Many of the politicians are patrons, so I've developed a personal relationship with them."
Vitrone's work in the neighborhood made him a finalist for the Restaurant Neighborhood Award from the National Restaurant Association.
U.S. Senator Joe Biden wrote a letter of support, saying that Vitrone's work helped stem the urban decline that reached a low in the late 1990s.
"People like Luigi find the strengths and opportunities rather focusing on the weaknesses and the threats," he said.
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Pamper yourself in Little Italy
August 9, 2001. Salon KOME & Day Spa recently opened on 1017 North Lincoln Street in Little Italy; Salon KOME used to be located across the street from its new residence. This company’s move has resulted in many upgrades in both its facilities and its services. In addition to hair and nail care, Salon KOME & Day Spa now offers waxing and massage therapy. The salon specializes in foil and color techniques. Its owners, Beverly Smoot and Jennifer Smith, bring over twenty years of experience in this line of work. The newly renovated building in which it is now located makes you feel right at home and lends you an alcove of escape from your everyday cares.
Salon KOME is committed to helping you create a look with which you feel comfortable and confident. “Your hair is all about you; you wear it every day,” says Karen Metzler, creative educational director.
Salon KOME & Day Spa is open Monday – Friday, 10-7, and Saturday, 9-2.
Money Drives Entrepreneurial Success
(An article written by the Small Business Association)
From Main Street to Wall Street, small business is finally getting the respect it deserves. More than ever, small business owners are thinking outside the box to explore their financing options – and the options are many.
Vincent John Dalton "Gardener Extraordinaire" Age 41 of Wilmington, DE died suddenly on Sunday, April 20, 2003.
Mr. Dalton was born in West Chester, graduated from Middletown High School and the University of Delaware. "Vinnie" served as former Mayor Sills' Westside Liaison during the arch and streetscape improvements to the "Little Italy" neighborhood. After leaving government service, he expanded his landscaping business and was known locally as the "Gardener Extraordinare" for his exceptional talent with flowerbed design.
Survivors include 4 siblings, Kathleen K. Stubbs, Mary Ann Purner, and Jean M. Rhoades all of Elkton, MD area, and Robert F. Dalton, Jr. of Wilmington; 2 nephews; 3 nieces; and a host of friends and customers who will all miss him dearly. He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert F. and Mary Catherine (Pitt) Dalton.
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