Miguel Ángel “Mike” Amadeo’s shop, Casa Amadeo, has remained open for over five decades. The Puerto Rican native has worked with some of the biggest names in Latin music, including Celia Cruz, El Gran Combo and Tito Mieves, ABC7 reported. A decade ago, the New York City Council honored Amadeo by renaming the street in front of his music shop after him; it is now recognized as “Miguel Ángel Amadeo Way.”

In a recent interview with mitú, a media company dedicated to storytelling from a “Latino point of view,” Amadeo opened up about how his passion for music is the main reason his shop has stuck around for all these decades despite record stores’ waning popularity.

“My formula is a promise I made to myself that I’ll only leave this place [the store] to the cemetery,” he told mitú.

He continued, “I’ve been in music for almost 74 years, and it’s given me a fantastic life and the chance to support my family. I don’t think about retiring, and I’ve never talked about it; I’ll leave here when God takes me.”

Growing up, Amadeo participated in singing, playing bongos and percussion; he also learned how to play the guitar after his cousin gifted him with one as a teen. He eventually started working at Casa Latina, a record store on 110th Street in Spanish Harlem that he frequented as a youngster.

“I would leave school at, for example, 3 in the afternoon, and by 4, I was there listening to music. As they noticed my talent, the owner, Bartolo Álvarez, opened his doors and let me work part-time. I earned $2 weekly,” he recalled in his interview with mitú.

Working at Casa Latina sparked the idea for Amadeo to open his store. He wants every customer to leave with “a memory of someone who has proudly elevated the name of Latinos, especially my people from Puerto Rico.”

Continuing to run Casa Amadeo six days a week helps to keep Amadeo’s mind occupied, especially after the passing of his wife. Outside of the shop and his passion for music, his two sons and other relatives keep him going.

“If the Latino audience is watching this video, God bless you,” he said tearfully. “Thank you so much for standing in the presence of this old man.”