After a fire in an apartment upstairs in January caused severe water and smoke damage at Rocky and Sons Bakery, Farmingdale, the Main Street shop opened for business this week with a brand new look.

Owners Rocky and Jane Santopadre have completed a major renovation of the bakery, which was spurred by the need to repair the water- and smoke-damaged store. It is a happy ending to a difficult seven weeks for the Farmingdale couple, second generation owners of the family-owned bakery, who took over the business only two months prior to the fire.

The Santopadres described the afternoon of the fire as one filled with fear and heartbreak, mixed with an overwhelming sense of relief that no one was hurt. "The fire was pretty good, and my cake decorator and I ran upstairs, and we hit it with a fire extinguisher," said Rocky. He and his employee, Alex Fagiolo, also looked for victims upstairs, who had already been rescued by a passerby.

Meanwhile, Rocky had instructed another employee to take his 4-year-old son, also named Rocky, outside to safety.

Moments later, local fire fighters arrived, put out the fire, and transported the victims, who included a pregnant women and four small children, to Mid-Island Hospital, Bethpage.

As Jane drove down Main Street to the bakery, after picking up her daughter, Samantha, 7, from school, she was filled with fear for her husband and son's lives. "All I saw was flames shooting out of the building," she said, adding that she was unable to determine whether the fire was upstairs or downstairs. "I ran to the front door, and that's when I saw them."

When it was all over, water was pouring down into the bakery like rain, and the establishment's holiday shipment of supplies was destroyed. The combination of water and smoke damage prompted the Nassau County Board of Health to shut the bakery down. "At first, I was in shock, and I didn't think it was as bad as it was, and I thought we were going to be up and operating the next day," said Rocky. "Then I realized there were six inches of water downstairs and my stock was totally destroyed."

The Santopadres credit the support of their family, friends, employees and customers for helping them to recover from the experience. They also extended thanks to particular businesses for their help, many of them from Farmingdale: Marlo Custom Creations, Safeway Electric, For-Dad, Conklin Lumber, Lakewood Bakery, Lanzaro Baking, Corner Cafe and Tile Worx.

The couple also noted that the experience has renewed their commitment to the bakery, which was founded by Rocky's parents, Rocky, Sr. and Anita 17 years ago - as well as their connection to Farmingdale.

"Our whole reputation from when my parents had this place was 'mom and pop,' and now it's still going to be 'mom and pop,'" said Rocky.

"Now that we redid it, I'm really excited. We're sorry it happened the way it did, but I look at the store, and I'm excited," said Jane. "We're pretty stuck here," she added, smiling. "Our roots are right here."