Patio Gardens & Landscaping has been a fixture on the corner of the Westbank Expressway and Avenue G in Marrero for almost half a century. Just at its 44th birthday, owner Wayne Nocito announced that it is closing its doors on June 9.

"I'm turning the page and moving on, but it sure is hard to shut the doors," Nocito said with tears in his eyes. The attachment to this mom-and-pop size operation goes way beyond a business to Nocito, but to how it was birthed in the first place.