The iconic Boardy Barn, an East End summer staple for over half a century, is now officially under new ownership. 

"It’s over," longtime employee Tom Holochwost said. “It’s a shame, but it’s over.” 

Along with being a Marine, Holochwost has been a bouncer and bartender at the bar since day one and says this moment is bittersweet. 

“There’s going to be a lot of people riding around Hampton Bays trying to figure out where to go next because so many people have a history here,” he said. 

Boardy Barn opened April 16, 1970.  It was announced on the business's Facebook page Thursday that the location at 270 West Montauk Highway had been sold.   

The property was put up for sale back in October by owners Mickey Shields and Tony Galgano. Unfortunately Galgano died from cancer a month later, and Holochwost says Boardy Barn just wouldn’t have been the same without him. 

“Tony would sit on the bench at night and pay people's cab fare if they couldn’t find a way home. That was Tony. No matter how much it cost, no matter how far they had to go, he would make sure that they got home safe,” Holochwost said. 

“Sometimes it used to get a little over the top, but Tony used to say, ‘Well, we don’t sell ginger ale here,'” he added. 

That rowdy atmosphere is what drew Long Islanders to Boardy Barn for decades and created memories that, for many, will last a lifetime. 

“I hope everyone who came here had as much fun as I did working here,” Holochwost said. “Because I had a lot of fun.” 

There is still no word on what the property will become in the future under new ownership.