You’ll see a lot of Curt Giacobbe at the Italian Feast these days, and there’s a reason for that, as he is the new owner of the restaurant, the first he’s purchased in New York. Giacobbe was born in Ilion and stayed there until he was 13 when they moved to Long Island. He said that he’s been there until he was about 50, but always kept a house up here because he loves the area.

“My grandfather was born here, my uncles, and my aunt taught school in Ilion for 40 years. Obviously, if you live in Nebraska, you don’t wake up one morning and say I want to move to Little Falls,” he said. Giacobbe said that the area is something that you are born in and end up loving. “I think it’s a great area, and that it’s underappreciated. Sometimes when you go away and come back, you can really appreciate it.”