The couple has been making the same lasagna by the family recipe for decades. When they close the restaurant’s doors for the last time, they do not plan to bring much with them: the thought of leaving it all behind is too painful.

After 50 years of serving pizza and pasta on State Street, Gino’s will be closing on Oct. 31.

Stella Gargano, wife of owner Gino Gargano, said Gino is sad to leave but needed to retire as he is 73 years old.

Fifty years ago, the restaurant was across the street from its current location at 540 State St. and only contained 10 booths, Gino said. The walls did not even have pictures because they were too expensive, he said.

“He called it ‘Little Gino’s,’” Stella said.

In the front of the current Gino’s restaurant, the old menu from 1963 is still on display. Stella said Gino kept the menu for its sentimental value.

Over time the menu has changed in order to reflect price changes, but the specialty is still the lasagna, Stella said.

“Everybody loves his lasagna,” Stella said.

Originally from Bagheria, Sicily, Gino’s father insisted he learn the art of cooking at a bakery called “Pasticceria,” Stella said.

Gino said one of his uncles lived in Madison and loved the city, convincing him to move to there.

“When he came here of course he took what he learned from [the bakery and] he opened a restaurant,” Stella said.

Gino, who used to live above the restaurant, said he would only come down to work, and return upstairs every night only to sleep.

He still has the original family canole recipe that he brought over from Sicily and the lemon wrappers from the lemon farm he grew up on.

Over the years, Stella said she and Gino have seen many changes to downtown Madison. When Gino’s first opened, people were allowed to drive on State Street, Stella said, adding customers used to drive up and park in front of the restaurant.

The Garganos said they also watched many good shops disappear, including a women’s clothing shop that now houses Potbelly, Stella said.

She said there have been many memories made in the community, noting she often runs into returning workers and customers from 20 or 30 years ago.

“There’s a lot of good memories, old employees coming back and a lot of customers coming back,” Stella said.

Gino said he will not be taking many items from Gino’s because leaving will be too painful for him.

“It hurts him a lot to let go of this place,” Stella said. “It’s too painful for him really to talk about it.”

Stella said she wanted to thank all of the customers and everyone in Madison for supporting the restaurant over all those years. She said she is sad Gino’s will be another small business leaving Madison when there are more chain restaurants are moving in.

“I’m sorry you are leaving,” a customer said as he walked past Gino and Stella on his way out of the restaurant Wednesday. “I hope you have a good retirement. I’ll see you again before the end.”

Kabul will be moving to the space above Gino’s, and a clothing store will take the space of the first floor of Gino’s, Stella said.