SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A 30-year business owner said he and his fitness center have been through a lot.
Joe Mannino, a co-owner of Victory MMA, said his gym flooded 14 years ago when a drunk driver hit a fire hydrant in front of the business. He said the damage cost more than a million dollars.
Most recently, in February, a fire tore through the Midway building.
“It looks like we have a total rebuild. Three million plus in damage. It will shut us down six months to a year,” said Mannino.
Mannino said an electrical issue with the sauna caused the fire.
He found a new space in Clairemont in just two weeks.
“This location was done in five days. We had a giant crew working around the clock,” Mannino said.
Mannino said he paid his staff even during the closure. Mike Lemaire is a world champion and coach.
“Overall, it made us stronger. The fire happened and then we all pulled together. It made our group a little tighter,” Lemaire said.
What about their original location in the Midway that he has had for 30 years? Mannino says it is not going anywhere. He plans to rebuild it.
“It becomes your life. It becomes your mission," Mannino said. "Waking up in the morning and not having somewhere to go, is not a good feeling. A lot of people talk about winning the lottery and doing nothing. That is not my character."
