Sam Lovera, owner of the iconic Lovera’s Italian Market in Krebs, died today at the age of 63. Details are still developing, but according to a source Lovera suffered an apparent heart attack this morning, was taken to a local hospital for treatment, but did not survive. This is a massive loss for the small town of Krebs.

Sam’s family dates back to the town’s coal-mining roots. Sam was named for an uncle killed in the same mining tragedy as his grandfather, Battista. Krebs, located in Pittsburg County, has long been known as Oklahoma’s Little Italy and Lovera’s Italian Market is synonymous with its legend. Sam’s father Mike purchased the business from his mother and step-father in 1946, calling it Mike’s Grocery and Meat Market.