Giovanni Battista Pastor was born in 1873 in Buggio, Italy, above Pigna, Province of Imperia, just across the border from France.
[2] He emigrated to Monte Carlo as a young man in 1880,[1] to seek work on the construction of the Saint-Charles Church.
With his newfound wealth, Pastor bought seafront land at low prices after World War II, particularly in the Larvotto district, when there was still no development east of the casino.
With the post-war tourism slump, Prince Rainier resolved to diversify from gambling and turned Monaco into a tax haven.
In subsequent decades, Pastor's son Gildo was able to build apartment blocks, after getting planning permission to develop in 1966 on this now very valuable land, retaining ownership, and avoiding long leases to maximise rental income.