In 1983, Attorney Michael J. Occhionero and home-builder/realtor Raymond J. Negrelli, on a handshake, formed the partnership known as Bay Properties Co., originally to acquire the Dover Junction Shopping Center and Mall in Bay Village, OH. The idea was to use their diverse professional skills to acquire, develop and manage real estate projects throughout Northeast Ohio. The only ground rule was that they would dissolve the partnership and move on to other endeavors when it stopped being fun.

Thirty-six years later, Mike and Ray continue to develop projects, build, refurbish, renovate, and acquire commercial real estate and swear they are still having fun. Continuing on a tradition started by Ray’s father, the late Frank J. Negrelli, known in real estate circles as “Mr. Mayfield Road,” Mike and Ray have specialized in smaller commercial real estate in local neighborhood strip centers and count numerous properties such as plazas in their portfolio along Mayfield Road in Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights and in surrounding communities and counties.

Mike and Ray are both proud of their Italian heritage acquiring their love of all things Italian from an early age since both of their families trace their early years to Cleveland’s Little Italy neighborhood. They study, speak and write the Italian language and routinely travel with their families and friends to the Bel Paese.
Mike and his wife Paula (Strazzanti), regularly visit Mike’s family in Sorrento and recently researched Paula’s Sirna family roots in Sant’Agata di Militello, with an additional visit to the Eolian Islands and Taormina in Sicily. Ray and his wife Toni (Geraci) travel to Italy often, but especially enjoy visiting Marina Di Caronia, birthplace of the Negrelli family, and Termini Imerese, home of the Geraci family.

Mike and Ray are most proud of their just completed total restoration of Cleveland’s Little Italy signature Mia Bella building at the corner of Mayfield and Murray Hill.

To celebrate their business partnership and share in the fun they swore it would be, these two proud Italian American businessmen are honored to sponsor the upcoming salute to Italian Music with a concert performed by The Cleveland Pops Orchestra with conductor Carl Topilow at  Severance Hall on Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 8 p.m.