His family has been in the land business for three generations. His grandfather Samuel D. Walker was a large (over 40,000 units) vacation home lot developer in New Jersey from 1910 until the early 1950s. He specialized in providing affordable vacation homes at the shore. Some of his better-known developments were the Island of Brigantine, North and West Wildwood, Laurence Harbor, and Cliffwood Beach.

His father, Michael J. Catalano, was mentored by his grandfather, and after marrying the boss’s daughter, left to establish his own independent real estate, insurance, and appraisal business in Bucks County Pennsylvania in the early 1950s. His was the leading firm until the late 1960s when he decided to become a lawyer and began to change his focus to commercial, multi-unit residential, and a few tracts of rural residential development, and investing.

The developer’s father mentored him. In 1974 he started an apprenticeship as his father’s clerk and quickly got involved in his brokerage and land business. He was actively involved in ownership, brokering, lease management of commercial land on Route One in Langhorne, and rural residential land. In Pennsylvania, at that time, the regulations were relaxed to encourage applicants to propose open space large lot subdivisions.

He has been the owner and operator of the business for 25 years. His life's work reflects his interest in preservation subdivisions (all lots created were preserved forever with protective deed covenants against further development):

• The McCafferty Tract (Eagle Road, Newtown, Bucks County, PA) - 56 acres into 6 tracts. 1977.
  
• Mt. Eyre Estates (Beechwood Road, Upper Makefield, Bucks County, PA) - 70 acres into 7 tracts. 1979.
  
• Windy Bush Estates (Windy Bush Road, Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County PA) - 56 acres into 5 tracts. 1980.
  
• Heritage Creek Estates (Swamp Road, Wrightstown, Bucks County, PA) -75 acres into 6 tracts. 1983. Stephen Nickowski, Loan officer, Central Penn National Bank, Levittown PA.
  
• Tall Timbers (Old Jacksonville Road, Northampton Township, Bucks County, PA) - 47.6 acres into 10 tracts. 1984. Acquisition loan by Fidelity Savings and Loan Association, Mr. Charles Coupland, President, Bristol, PA. View Message from Charles Coupland
  
• Bacon's Run (Bordentown-Georgetown Road, Chesterfield Township, Burlington County, NJ) -214 acres into 24 tracts. 1986. Secured line of credit, Mount Holly State Bank, Mount Holly, NJ, Mr. Jack Merrit, loan officer.
  
• Goode-Vanistendal Farm (Sykesville Road, Chesterfield Township, Burlington County, NJ) - 45.3 acres into one tract. 1988.
  
• Meadowview Estates, (Arney's Mount Road, Springfield Township, Burlington County, NJ) - 98.4 acres into 9 tracts. 1989-91. Acquisition loan, Yardville National Bank, John Lauracella, loan officer.
  
• Woodhill Estates (School House Lane, Mansfield Township, Burlington County, NJ) - Reduction of a fully approved 18 lot 52 acre subdivision into a total of 9 tracts. 1992. Acquisition loan to Craft, Miller, and Davis, private investors. Emory A. Craft, agent.
  
• Summit View Estates (Swamp Road, Wrightstown Township, Bucks County, PA) - 35 acres into seven tracts. 1994.
  
• Imlay’s Woods (Rues Road, Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, NJ) -18 acres into three tracts. 1995.
  
• Deerfield Estates (Burlington Path Road, Upper Freehold Township, NJ) -Reduction of 12 lot subdivision on 18 acres into three tracts. 1996.
  
• Laurel Pond Resort (Route 537, Upper Freehold Township, Monmouth County, NJ). 47 acres in 264 site luxury RV resort.

The company took back mortgages on many of the out sales. Also, in the earlier portion of his career many brokerage deals were made. All during his career, especially in recent years, he has purchased many lots from individuals for resale. York Federal Savings and Loan, in York, PA, a consumer lot lender, has financed several of these deals, Mr. Jay Lowman, loan officer. He Has also acted as a consultant to many clients over the years on matters involving real estate.