▁Street ▁in ▁Brook lyn ▁He ights . ▁▁ ▁Sci oli ▁is ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁native , ▁born ▁in ▁Manh attan ' s ▁Little ▁Italy ▁to ▁an ▁Italian ▁imm igr ant ▁parents . ▁He ▁worked ▁in ▁ret ail ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁cab ▁driver ▁before ▁entering ▁the ▁books elling ▁business . ▁According ▁to ▁John , ▁it ▁was ▁Susan , ▁a ▁former ▁teacher , ▁who ▁had ▁the ▁literature ▁background ; ▁he ▁became ▁more ▁of ▁an ▁av id ▁reader ▁only ▁after ▁opening ▁the ▁book st ores . ▁When ▁the ▁couple ▁separated ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 , ▁they ▁each ▁took ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁book st ores . ▁John ▁had ▁the ▁Brook lyn ▁He ights ▁location ▁and ▁Susan ▁ran ▁the ▁Park ▁Slo pe ▁shop ▁until ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁s elling ▁it ▁to ▁Catherine ▁Boh ne , ▁who ▁in ▁turn ▁sold ▁it ▁to ▁Steph anie ▁Val de z ▁and ▁Ez ra ▁Gold stein ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁Fight ▁over ▁commercial ▁rent ▁control ▁ ▁John ' s ▁Brook lyn ▁He ights ▁location ▁became ▁a ▁central ▁figure ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 8 0 s ▁when ▁his ▁land l ord ▁ev icted ▁Sci oli ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁his ▁le ase ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁rent ▁the ▁space ▁to ▁an ▁ice ▁cre am ▁par lor ▁that ▁had ▁agreed ▁to ▁pay ▁more ▁than ▁double ▁Sci oli ' s ▁rent . ▁Brook lyn ▁He ights ▁is ▁an ▁aff lu ent ▁neighborhood , ▁and ▁with ▁r ents ▁rising ▁rapidly , ▁the ▁book store ▁received ▁press