Thursday, October 29, 2026
Ruffino Ristorante, a staple in the Lynbrook community for over five decades, reopened its doors on June 30 following a six-month closure due to a fire that occurred just days before Christmas.
Located at 139 Lakeview Ave, the family-owned Italian restaurant hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the occasion, attended by Mayor Alan Beach and other local government officials.
"Ruffino’s has a legacy in the village going back to the early 70s," Beach said at the event. "All these businesses help add to the local flavor of our community."
Sal Ruffino, who now helps manage the business, said the restaurant was founded by his father, who immigrated from Italy at age 16 and purchased the original pizzeria in 1972 at the age of 19.
“A couple of years later, I think it was 1976 or so, that's when he expanded and made a restaurant next door,” Ruffino said.
The Ruffino family has operated the restaurant ever since. Despite being 74 years old, Ruffino's father still comes to work daily.
Ruffino described the fire as taking place a few days before Christmas. While insurance covered most of the damage and contractor costs, the family is still finalizing some aspects of the claim process.
Originally from a small town in Italy, Ruffino’s father learned to cook from his grandmother while growing up with his three sisters. After arriving in the U.S., he worked in a local bakery in Malvern and attended South Side High School in Rockville Centre. Though he had once planned to attend college, he ultimately chose to dedicate his life to the restaurant business.
“He shows love through cooking,” Ruffino said. “He’s a very old school, stubborn Italian man… but that’s what makes him happy. So that’s what he did his whole life.”
