WATERVILLE — Mayor Nick Isgro pointed to a black and white photo on the wall of Napoli Italian Market. “This is my grandparents’ first date,” he said, of the photo showing his grandfather, Sam, and grandmother, Eleanor.

Another photo shows Sam, who was a Waterville city councilor years ago, with Isgro’s father, Jim, when Jim was a baby. Yet another is a portrait of Sam visiting his family, including his Uncle Vito, in Sicily.

Mayor Nick Isgro, owner of the new Napoli Italian Market in downtown Waterville, prepares his new store Friday. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel

The framed family photos grace the walls of the high-end market of Italian products that Isgro and Tom and Candace Savinelli, who own Italian bakery Holy Cannoli next door, plan to open this week.

Isgro, a controller at Skowhegan Savings Bank, said the market was something he has always wanted to see in downtown Waterville, whether owned by him or someone else.

“It just so happened that Candace and I, through conversation, decided we would do it since nobody else was,” he said.

Tom Savinelli grew up in West Haven, Connecticut, where his father, Louis, owned an Italian market. The Savinelli family, of Sicily, is famous in Italy for cigars and rifles. Candace Savinelli learned how to cook from Tom’s mother, Lilly Savinelli, and a lot of her recipes are used at Holy Cannoli, which opened in 2012.

As Isgro showed off the market Friday, he said he and the Savinellis hope to open as early as Monday, but it could be as late as Wednesday. He said there will be updates on its Facebook page, Napoli Italian Market.

The market interior is freshly painted in the colors of Holy Cannoli – rust, sage and mustard. It will carry Italian wine; imported air-cured Italian meat, including prosciutto di Parma and capicola; cheeses such as provolone, asiago and Locatelli buffalo; imported pasta and canned goods. Vinolio infused oils and vinegars from Belfast also will be featured.

Candace Savinelli will be in charge of operations, and Isgro’s role is “kind of back office, financial and advisory role,” he said.

Isgro and the Savinellis announced plans to open the market last October. The announcement came after Colby College announced plans to work with the city to help bring more people to live and work there.

Isgro last year served on a committee headed up by Colby President David Greene, to explore what the city needed to help revitalize the downtown. They identified the need to address vacant and deteriorating buildings, enhance arts and cultural offerings, create more housing and draw retail stores. Colby eventually bought five vacant buildings and plans to partner with investors to bring a boutique hotel, offices and retail shops downtown. Bill Mitchell, owner of GHM Insurance Agency, also bought two historic buildings and is renovating them.

The market will be managed by the Savinellis’ son, Jonathan. Mark Novak will run the deli, and two other part-time workers have been hired.

“While we are focused mainly on Italian food here, we can special order just about anything, so if somebody wants a French cheese or specialty meat, we can probably get it,” Isgro said.

Candace Savinelli had received a lot of requests from Holy Cannoli customers for an Italian market.

“I just think it’s providing an energy that downtown Waterville needs,” she said. “It’s going to be part of the revitalization of the city, and I think Waterville will be the stop and shop place for central Maine. We’ll be the culinary center of central Maine.”

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