Sirio Maccioni, the founder of Le Cirque, one of New York’s symbols, passed away on Monday at the age of 88.

Sirio Maccioni, the owner of Le Cirque restaurant, which welcomes names such as Ronald and Nancy Reagan and Frank Sinatra, died in his hometown of Montecatini, Italy, at the age of 88 according to his son’s statement. Le Cirque, which launched the careers of chefs such as Daniel Boulud, David Bouley, Jacques Torres, and Geoffrey Zakarian, has also hosted many notable guests. Boulud said for Maccioni, “I owe him all the respect and admiration for all that he did for me and my career as a chef. No one in this business was more elegant, savvy, and confident in running the dining room of #lecirque.” Zakarian said about Maccioni’s death, “Those that passed through his doors learned about food, hospitality and family directly from him, the one and only.” Le Cirque is planned to reopen in Manhattan by his sons to cherish the memory of Sirio Maccioni. Le Cirque, whose New York branch closed in 2017, continues its work in Las Vegas, New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Dubai.