Dyker Heights says goodbye to a beloved local merchant. On Saturday, May 16, Paolo Pesce, owner of La Bella Marketplace, 7907 13th Ave., died at age 75 from colon cancer complications. He is survived by his wife Maria, his children Antonella, Janet and Nick, his three grandchildren and brothers Larry and Frank

Pesce was born Aug.12,1944 in a fisherman’s town, Mola di Bari, Italy. He came to America 1966 and worked as a merchant marine at Texaco. When he lived in downtown Brooklyn, he held odd jobs to pay the rent. He married Maria in 1970.