Italians fled these areas and nearly everywhere else in New York City in mass exodus a couple decades ago. These neighborhoods may still look nice and be safe, if not even safer than when the Italians were there, but they are drastically different in character than they were in the 80s and before. You rarely even see an Italian person anymore. From what I understand many moved to Staten Island and New Jersey.
Who said anything about Italians - although they certainly are in the Arthur Avenue section. Brooklyn is being increasingly gentrified - I thought even the Pygmies in Africa knew that. Meanwhile, Queens has huge melting pots of Greeks, Italians, Polish, Chinese, etc.
Do you live in NY?