Jim D'Agostino emigrated from Calabria, Italy, when he was just five years old. He grew up to become a bridge-building specialist in the U.S. Army and then an aircraft technician who tested jet engines for Pan Am. When the airline went belly-up in the late 1970's, D'Agostino tried his hand at real estate. His first investment was an undervalued gas station. He ended up owning several, along with