Portrait Of A Slumlord?

Anthony Perrotti owns hundreds of crime- and drug-infested apartments in the New Haven area, yet claims to have done little wrong. What gives?

1 minute read

April 25, 2006, 8:00 AM PDT

By David Gest


"Police were called [to 1375 Chapel St.] more than 200 times between January 2005 and March 2006--an average of more than three times a week, or more than 10 times for each of the building's 20 apartments. City housing inspectors know the building well, too. A sweep on Jan. 30 turned up 25 housing code violations, from a leaking sewer line to missing smoke detectors to piles of debris.

And yet the landlord, Anthony Perrotti of Milford-based Ottowa Enterprises, declares: 'They're not violations. We have no violations.'

Perrotti is one of New Haven's biggest poverty landlords. Through Ottowa Enterprises, Connecticut Housing Co., and his personal holdings, he owns about 240 apartments in greater New Haven and Bridgeport, with 75 to 100 more being rehabilitated. Perrotti estimates that 'at least 75 to 80 percent' of those apartments are in the city of New Haven, and that 90 percent of his tenants get some form of public rent assistance. Last year he collected about $445,000 through New Haven Housing Authority's Section 8 program alone, with more money coming through other government programs."

Thursday, April 20, 2006 in New Haven Advocate

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 14, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Front of Walmart store with sign.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network

The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

May 7, 2025 - Inc.

Aerial view of Albuquerque, New Mexico at sunset.

New State Study Suggests Homelessness Far Undercounted in New Mexico

An analysis of hospital visit records provided a more accurate count than the annual point-in-time count used by most agencies.

5 hours ago - Source NM

Close-up on white bike helmet lying on pavement with blurred red bike on its side in background abd black car visible behind it.

Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes

Proposed state legislation would close a ‘legal gap’ that lets drivers who kill get away with few repercussions.

6 hours ago - Wood TV 8

Muni bus on red painted bus-only lane in downtown San Francisco, California.

Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels

Transit ridership around the country was up by 85 percent in all modes in 2024.

7 hours ago - Mass Transit