GAETANO'S SOLD TO RON ROBINSON, THE GUY FOR THE JOB

The Breckenridge-Wynkoop team has decided to sell the Italian-style restaurant Gaetano's to Ron Robinson, a long-time member of their team who left last year to fulfill his dream of buying a restaurant.

Robinson, proud of his new "owner" title, told the Denver Post that he'll be "undergoing something of a baptism by fire, or at least marinara sauce, during the busy holiday season." The article also details some of the restaurant's long history.

Gaetano's was once owned by the Smaldones, Denver's most notorious crime family, says the Post. The restaurant at 3760 Tejon Street has been around since the 1940s, when it was a hub for illegal gambling and bootlegging. Today it's a Denver institution.

Wynkoop CEO Lee Driscoll was influential in helping Robinson acquire Gaetano's. He says the restaurant will benefit greatly from having an owner on-site, greeting guests at the door and establishing themselves in the neighborhood— and Ron is the guy for the job.