HOPE AVENUE, NO. 139
NOVEMBER 30, 1937. ABBOTT FILE 270

This country estate belonged to Michael Berardini, a Neopolitan immigrant who came to New York in 1880, opened a bank on Mulberry Street, and amassed a $2 million fortune. In 1924, when he died at age 58, Berardini owned banks in Boston, Philadephia, Pittsburgh, and Naples. Built around the turn of the century in the Italian-American community of Rosebank, Berardini's home accommodated his five children and their families. In 1931, the banks failed and the family dispersed, leaving the estate abandoned. The decrepit house was torn down in 1959, and several suburban homes now occupy the property. The stone wall surrounding the grounds still remains.

Abbott may have discovered this site while seeking out the nearby Garibaldi Memorial, which she photographed the same day.

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