More than eight months after a fire considered to be the work of an arsonist threatened lives and destroyed two businesses, Bill Henrichs launched Kuck's Delicatessen and Yogurt Palace surrounded by friends and family.

On May 1 of last year the Mineola Fire Department battled a series of arson related fires around the Mineola Boulevard area, the most dangerous of which claimed 120 Mineola Boulevard and destroyed both Kuck's Delicatessen and the Yogurt Palace.

The fire also might have taken the lives of the tenants of the five apartments located above the stores, if it was not for the quick actions of MTA LI Bus Driver John C. Schmidt and Henrichs' son Peter.

Peter arrived at the deli at around 5:15 a.m. and saw a trash fire in the back of his store begin to crawl up a fence. Unable to reach a nearby hose or call for help from the deli, Peter called 911 from a pay phone across the street from his store.

It was at this time, around 5:20 a.m. that Schmidt arrived on the scene, saw smoke and contacted his dispatcher who in turn contacted the authorities.

Then Schmidt and Peter raced up the stairs and pounded on the doors until everyone was out of the apartments.

Both men were honored by the village of Mineola and the Mineola Fire Department for their heroic efforts.

"I just went up there. I knew there were people up there. I would hope someone would do the same for me," said Peter Henrichs.

What the community did do is rally around the family to offer help in both the re-launching of the business and the supporting of the family, all of whom were out of work because of the fire.

With all the support from the community, including support from fellow restaurant Eleanor Rigby's who hosted a fund raiser for the Kuck's, the decision to rebuild was then in the hands of Henrichs.

The longstanding relationship of the well-known business with the village of Mineola began in 1935 when Fred Kuck founded the delicatessen. He later passed the business onto his son Bill in the '50s, though maintaining ownership of the building.

Henrichs, who had been living in Mineola since 1967, bought the business from Bill and the building from Fred in 1973.

Henrichs had been operating a deli out of Astoria, Queens and wanting to spend more time with his family and less time traveling took over the deli, keeping its name and its tradition of family.

Over time his son Peter took over Kuck's Delicatessen and his daughter Sandra ran the adjacent Yogurt Palace in the building Henrichs owned.

Henrichs, guided by a sense of family, eventually decided to rebuild his stores at the same location in Mineola where he knew he was wanted and missed.

William and Peter Henrichs along with some friends gutted Kuck's Delicatessen and The Yogurt Palace, filling 18 dumpsters over a two and a half month cleaning period.

After that the architect took over and transformed the wreckage into one consolidated Delicatessen and Yogurt store with four brand new studio apartments overhead.

"It looks great," said Peter who along with the rest of his family is excited to go back to work.

The loyal customers are excited as well.

"I see people on the street every day and they say 'We can't wait until you're open again,'" said Peter.

His father Bill, is excited and a bit nervous about the undertaking, but he has faith in the support of his friends, some of whom like Mayor John P. Colbert, Trustees Elizabeth Conlon and Lou Santosus, Legislator Richard Nicolello and Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy stopped by last Thursday night to wish the family well in its venture.

Said Bill, "I don't have enemies in this town, I only have friends."