“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized.”
Daniel Burnham
Our fearless leader, Crito Galtier, has been a member of the virtual world since May of 2010. Beloved by all who meet him, his warm, open, friendly personality invites you in for a cozy chat, and makes you feel part of his extended SL family. Those of us fortunate to live at the Grove know that his kindly persona drives the very heart of The Grove.
Come on in, grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine, put your feet up next to the fire, and settle in for an in-depth interview with Mayor Crito.
Suzanne: Crito, how long have you been in SL?
Crito: I’ve been in Second Life going on ten years now.
Suzanne: When you first joined, what did you enjoy the most?
Crito: I initially found myself role playing as a gladiator at several ancient Roman communities for many years. I then started my own community that catered to gay life, and that also included a residential area.
Suzanne: Tell me how you ended up owner of The Grove Country Club Estates.
Crito: Having known about The Grove Country Club Estates and loving what was there, I used to pop over often to find out what builders and products The Grove used, as The Grove always had the best. Then, low and behold, a friend of mine, who was friends with Umberto Giano, the original owner of The Grove, contacted me one day asking if I’d be interested in taking over a “large, well established community.”
I had to pry out of her which “community” she was talking about and when she said The Grove, I got totally excited! Umberto had decided to leave Second Life and was looking for someone who could take over The Grove and continue to maintain the very high level of standards he’d built into the community. Well, after meeting with him and proving I could handle it, we made a deal and The Grove became mine. That was in in August of 2014, so I’ve been leading and growing The Grove for almost nine of the thirteen years it’s been here. And I have to say, I’ve loved every day of it. I love meeting new people and helping them create a home in Second Life that is unique to anything you’ll find elsewhere!
Suzanne: And you certainly did that in spades! The Grove is still the best residential community in SL. So, tell us a little about your Second Life? What are your passions?
Crito: For fun, I like to explore different places in Second Life. I host live singers at The Grove and love that aspect of Second Life. I also like to play with fireworks! Loving both fireworks and music, I created a programming tool that allows me to choreograph fireworks to music. It’s a LOT of fun for me, as I get to immerse myself in a form of art that is different. My biggest production to date was for the Relay For Life’s 2020 Home and Garden show. That production was a twelve-minute show using twenty firework launchers on a special three level platform that magically appeared in the sky!
And of course, I love helping worthy causes like Relay For Life. We always plan something special for our events leveraging our talent team both in-house and within the community. I am blessed by having the best, most talented team on all of Second Life! When you have gifts like these, you must use them not just for fun but to help others however you can. That’s the most rewarding part of Second Life – helping others. It’s why I’ve been here nearly ten years and why I don’t plan to leave.
In conclusion, Crito is very philanthropic in RL as he is in SL. Crito serves on a committee for his local city council, as well as living in a historic Craftsman home that he restored to its original glory, and many other philanthropic causes. Crito is a multi-talented individual who works for a communications company by day and Second Life resident and The Grove owner by night. Next time you see him, tell him hello. He is always happy to meet a fellow SL’er. And don’t forget to consider The Grove for your SL home!
