Geno Martini, a lifelong Sparks resident and the city’s longest-serving mayor, died Thursday night in his home surrounded by family after a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s disease. He was 77.

"I'm so glad he's finally at peace after a rough couple of weeks. Thank you to everyone who came to visit these last few days,” wrote Gina Martini-Gonzalez, Martini’s daughter, on a Facebook post early Friday morning. 

Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson said in a statement from the city that he would remember Martini with admiration for his work and guidance.

“We greatly appreciate Mayor Martini for the amazing and valuable work he did over the years,” Lawson said. “But more importantly, all of us here at the City loved and respected the man who could bring a smile to anyone’s face. Mayor Martini appreciated, loved, and respected City staff and the feeling was mutual. To me personally, he was a mentor who always gave me encouragement and perspective.”

Martini was born Jan. 19, 1946, at Saint Mary’s hospital in Reno, the only hospital in the area. 

“I had to be born in Reno. I lived there for three days, moved out and never been back since,” Martini said during a 2017 interview with the Reno Gazette-Journal. 

From that point on, Martini was a lifelong Sparks resident, joining the city council as a councilman in 1999. In 2004 he was elected mayor, a position he held for the next 13 years.

During his time in office, Martini oversaw multiple large projects in Sparks, most notably with the creation of the Outlets at Legends.

In 2018, the city threw a retirement party for Martini.

“It was our time to say goodbye to him professionally but now we say a final goodbye to a man who truly made a difference in our City,” Lawson said.

Updated 6/5/2023 at 1:33 p.m. to reflect the Sparks Marina and Victorian Square were built before Martini was in office.