Just a little over a century ago, nearly 100% of the neighborhood’s residents were of Italian descent. These immigrants came for opportunity and with hopes of new-found success and prosperity.

They were masons with exquisite craftsmanship and an inspired work ethic who shaped Lake View Cemetery.

As they settled in Little Italy, it was common for one family to grow tomatoes and another to grow arugula while yet another grew peppers. Collectively forming a shared community garden.

The Fatica Family was one of those families. Their father built a hearth where neighbors would bring their breads to be baked. Robert Fatica and his siblings grew up in Little Italy. Robert went to the Cleveland Institute of Art and later opened a much-loved restaurant named “Primo Vino.” His interests range from photography and graphic design to cooking and enjoying fine wines. In fact, today he shares his knowledge of Italian wines with restaurateurs, family, friends. He’s been steadfast in his commitment to Little Italy but malleable in his belief that a neighborhood must evolve. A neighborhood must be welcoming to be vibrant and to be successful.

His family had been approached on numerous occasions to sell the property that now is the foundation of the first phase of VIA126. He was willing to sell only to those who had a respect for what the neighborhood had been and a vision of what the neighborhood could be.