New-York tribune., 1920-06-13
Your Landlord May
Be Also Your Boot
Black or Barber
Italians Have Entered Real
ty Field in All Boroughs,
Jumping Rents and Scat
tering Populations

The man who shines your shoes
shaves your face, presses your clothes
may be your landlord The tips you
have passed to him, week after week,
/ for years back, on the assumption that
or your face and hair extra care, have
been piled up against you, Mr.. Rent
Payer, and now you must pay tribute
| to the bootblack and the barber in the
form of high rentals.
italian BARRIERS and bootblacks have
been particularly active in the current
! real estate market. They have dis
played unexpected wealth and are in
the field for small apartment houses,
chiefly in the newer sections of Brook
lyn, Queens, the Bronx and Richmond.
The small house, the one and two
family homes, have received the great
est attention from Italians operating
in Richmond, but in the other boroughs
the Italian has shown a preference for
greater income producing properties,
houses from which he will be able to
get the maximum rental prevailing in
the locality
The housing shortage and the chances
which it offers to pile up more money
have not escaped folks who have come
here from Southern Europe. They seem
to have been coached in the possibili-
ties of the realty market, because all
! have the same argument to offer in
support of higher rentals and in the
discussion of realty values generally,
and the future Of the market.
Bay Ridge Greatly Disturbed
Bay Ridge seems to be greatly dis
turbed by the interest which Italians
have shown in property there. Trades
+ha
tlcularly are very much disturbed by
the advance of the Italian interest be-
cause it has had the effect of driving
the old population into other sections
and disturbing business prosperity.
The movement into the Bay Ridge dis
trict is being followed closely by
Italian storekeepers. They are under
stood to be buying out the old shop
keepers, bakers, butchers and grocers
who are willing to sell.
Caution does not seem to be part of
the scheme of the Italians who are
operating in the Bay Ridge section.
The opinion of the old traders is that
the Italians are paying any price asked
express the opinion that they cannot
lose because tenants must support
their speculations
Though apparently new in the realty
field, they display the nonchalance Of
old timers in making demands for
higher rentals and threatening long
established tenantry with disposses-
sion.
Houses in the Bay Ridge section
have changed hands two, three and
four and many more times in few
months. There is one house near Sun
set Park which has been sold three
ntn
May. In a year the rentals in that
house have been jumped 60 per cent
and another increase is suggested.
Barber Sells to Tailor
This house was first purchased by a
dealer in BARRIERS supplies. He sold
at a profit to a tailor, who has sold
it, also at an advance TO q FAMILY group
consisting of shoemaker, tailor and
a dressmaker.
Soon after this house was acquired,
the first in the block to be taken by
Italians, the property adjoining was
secured by an Italian who has since
passed it on to local barber shop
proprietor.
This is tho manner in which the
section is being claimed by Latin felix's.
who are flowing out Of the Union
Street district and East Side Man
haitian.
Reports from Queens say that the
invasion or the expansion of the buy
ing activities of Italians is one of the
features of the market. They are not
content with operating in houses oc-
clpicd by their own ,ace, but have
moved ou,sidc Ct tlcsc districts ard
are making other nationalities pay to
the limit of their resources.
The story told of Brooklyn and
Queens is the same as may be told of
the Nronv. The Italian has become
a factor in the real estate market for
ahe moment md is reaping profits
>:ther through spies or rentals.