Machines were destroyed and all inventory lost and that was just before the holiday season when chocolates wrapped in shiny foil are so popular.
"We're trying to bring as many people as we can back and to rebuild what took us 60 something years to build up and it's starting from scratch," said Jorge Farber.
Farber had to lay off nearly all of his 450 employees after the storm. A payroll that made Madelaine the largest employer in the Rockaways.
Now they are starting to rehire some of their former employees.
"It's such a gratifying feeling it's so great to welcome them. We've missed them. They missed the job. We're happy to have them back and we're happy to have them back," adds Farber.
But the 200-thousand square foot facility is still only half usable.
Machines still need to be repaired. But at least chocolate is getting made and sold.
