
Joe Paternostro worked alongside his father at Gambino’s Bakery for 12 years until he left the family business for the auto business.
He followed his brother, Luke Paternostro, into the field. The two had always been interested in cars.
After decades-long careers in collision work, Joe and Luke decided to make their own path, to leave a legacy for their families.
The brothers will open Paternostro Collison Works on Highway 90 in Boutte on Feb. 10, with a soft opening on Feb. 3. This will be the sixth collision shop the brothers have opened in Louisiana in two years. The other shops are in Harvey, Metairie, Kenner, Slidell and Mandeville.
“I think after this collision center we’re going to sit back and see if we can reap some benefits,” Joe said. “At this point, now its six, and we’re doing pretty well with it, but we’d like to sit back and see how it goes with these six before we expand any further.”
Joe said he has high hopes for the Boutte shop.
“I think the capacity that we are going to turn out here is going to be phenomenal,” Joe said.
The customer service the centers provide stands out, Joe said. The Boutte center will offer a lifetime labor warranty on all repairs, work closely with insurance companies, and repair all vehicles to manufacturer specifications.
“We work closely with customers and insurance companies to repair vehicles to pre-accident condition,” he said. “These cars are getting complicated. They have a lot of computers on them. All of that has to be put back to manufacturer’s specifications before you can put it back on the road safely.”
The center participates in Direct Repair Programs with several insurance agencies, which helps speed up the process of repairs, Joe said. The collision center also works closely with Enterprise car rental service to help customers receive a rental when they drop off their car for repairs.
Luke is a longtime Destrehan resident. Joe moved to Bayou Gauche in December. They saw a need for a collision shop in the area, Joe said.
“We didn’t see any collision centers that service cars the way we service them,” Joe said.
Luke and Joe come from a long line of business owners. Their maternal grandparents owned one of the last live poultry markets off Iberville and Dorgenois Street in New Orleans, Joe said.
“My brother and I would be at their business on weekends and holidays helping as children,” Joe said.
Joe and Luke’s father pursued culinary training at Delgado Community College before acquiring Gambino’s Bakery with his business partner.
“My father owned the bakery with his partner for 60 years,” Joe said. “And even after retiring, he continued to share his passion for baking by creating cakes and desserts for family holidays and his grandchildren’s birthdays.”
The brother’s paternal grandparents immigrated to Louisiana from Italy. Their Italian heritage is reflected in Paternostro Collision Works, Joe said.
“The sign for our company features the red, white, and green colors of the Italian flag,” Joe said. “And the penmanship for the handwriting was designed to emulate my mothers’ signature of our last name. We place a strong emphasis on family, with each of our shops managed and operated by members of our immediate family.”