Groton - Tropical Storm Irene may have claimed a casualty a week after she first struck.

The Universal Food Store in Noank, which opened in April 1947, may be shut down for good after six days of no power wiped out thousands of dollars of perishable food.

The storm combined with the troubled economy may be more than this beloved neighborhood grocery at 17 Pearl St. can survive, said owner Frank Quaratella.

"Right now we're talking $15,000 to $25,000" in losses, Quaratella said Saturday as he sorted through lemons and tomatoes that had grown moldy. "Six days without power did the trick. We weren't open, had no power and no generator. (All the food) came in the front door and is going out the back door; that's what happens."

On Saturday morning, a sign out front heralded a "hurricane sale," with all items 50 percent off. Some shelves were bare while others still held condiments, cleaning supplies and other household items.

The sale and the news of the store's impending closure brought in residents who stocked up and commiserated with Quaratella.

The mood was solemn as patrons shuffled and noticed a forlorn Quaratella standing by the produce counter. Hugs, tears and pledges to help stave off a shut-down were promised.

"Where am I going to get a hug every time I walk in?" asked Nancy Salerno after she spotted Quaratella inside the store. "You're going to remain my boyfriend. I'll hunt you down."

Kathleen Burns said she remembers times Quaratella would open early or put together a meat and cheese platter on short notice. The meats at Universal, after all, are the best, Burns said.

"Ever since I moved here 12 years ago I've come in every day," said Burns as she wiped away tears. "We're heartbroken. Noank is losing a piece of its soul. I feel for Frank and the town; it's just sad. He's always here for us."

The deli counters and cases, with signs behind it advertising salamis and ham, are closed and empty. The meat slicer is off, and there's no line at the grinder counter.

Pictures of friends, "some gone but not forgotten," Quaratella said, cover the walls. In one, a man holds up a blue lobster while in another someone stands next to a gigantic tuna fish on a boat.

A full-page advertisement announcing the store's opening from the April 16, 1947, evening edition of The Day hangs on one wall. Quaratella said his father and uncle opened the store then, while he took over the business in 1983.

"You need a break, you've never had a vacation," said Joan Abruzzese, Quaratella's cousin, as she walked in after hearing the store would be closing.

Quaratella said he's sold the rest of the store's inventory to his landlord, Geoffrey Jones, who manned a busy cash register Saturday.

Jones said Quaratella has been behind on rent and that the small store no longer seemed to be a viable business.

"I've been coming here since I was looking up at this," Jones said, pointing to the wooden counter by the register. "I'd love to see something like this in this spot, but the people of this community can't or won't support this type of business. I think that experiment is fairly conclusive."

Though the store has yet to close for good, Salerno, a Groton Long Point resident, already had a tinge of nostalgia in her voice as she recalled the unique aspects of the Universal Food Store.

"You get meat from Universal and you're not going to eat anything but beautiful," said Salerno, a self-proclaimed "foodie."

"It breaks our hearts this place is closing, because it means a great deal to us. It's like stepping back in time when you come here," Salerno said. "You don't need to take a number at Universal."

s.goldstein@theday.com