It takes a lot of audacity (not to mention deep pockets) to build yourself and your family a Manhattan mansion in the style of a Medieval castle. But real estate developer Charles Paterno doesn’t come across as someone who lacked boldness. In the late 19th century, Paterno was an Italian immigrant whose father and brother ran a contracting business, according to Christopher Gray in a 1999 New York Times Streetscapes column.

He graduated from medical school at Cornell University in 1899, intended to become a doctor. A tragedy changed his career plans. “His father died, leaving the family in possession of a half-finished apartment house,” noted the Brooklyn Daily Eagle in Paterno’s 1946 obituary.