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A millionaire restaurateur who started as a dishwasher at the Carnegie Deli says he wants to buy it to save the landmark eatery whose closing would be like 'losing the Empire State Building.'

Sammy Musovic, who owns uptown bistros Sojourn, Vero and Selena Rosa, has offered to buy the famed deli's flagship location for $10million, reports Page Six.

'I believe closing it down would be a huge loss for New York - it would be the same as losing the Empire State Building. It is a landmark. Buying the Carnegie Deli would be a dream come true for me. I would be able to save all those jobs, and preserve New York history. This is the best deli in the world,' he told the gossip column. 

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The popular Carnegie Deli, above, has been owned by the Levine family since 1976 will be closing December 31 - or will it?

Millionaire restaurateur Sammy Musovic (with philanthropist/author Jean Shafiroff) says he offered to buy the Carnegie Deli for $10million 

The lines for the deli got even longer once word got out that the famed deli was closing 

A woman looks over the menu as she waits in line to eat at the deli on Thursday, with only two more days left to grab some world famous pastrami 

Lines stretched down the block even in the rain as people desperately wanted to experience the deli before it shut down for good 

The old-school deli, famous for its four-inch thick pastrami sandwiches, corned beef, matzoh balls, and pickles, announced in September it would be closing on December 31.

As a new immigrant from Yugoslavia, Musovic washed dishes at Carnegie in midtown Manhattan for $3 an hour.

He says it was 'an honor' to scrub plates at the deli and the experience inspired him to stay in the food business, where he became extremely successful.

The deli is famous for its four inch thick pastrami sandwiches, known as the Woody Allen

 Musovic says he offered $10million for the deli but the family says it has not received a 'serious offer'

In October, the dishwasher turned millionaire told the deli he would buy it for $5million, but apparently that offer was rejected, so he doubled it.

Owner Marian Harper Levine, whose family has owned the iconic deli since 1976, had tearfully told employees in September that at age 65 she just couldn't take the grueling restaurant hours anymore.

'At this stage of my life, the early mornings to late nights have taken a toll, along with my sleepless nights and grueling hours that come with operating a restaurant business,' she said, according to Page Six. 'I'm very sad to close the Carnegie Deli but I’ve reached the time of my life when I need to take a step back.'

The deli, which opened in 1937, is high on kitsch, and the walls are covered with stars of yesteryear

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But lest Musovic's last minute offer make pastrami lovers plan their new year's day Woody Allen on rye, a rep for Levine says the deli is past hope.

'We have not received a serious offer from Musovic. There is no interest in discussing the sale of Carnegie Deli on Seventh Avenue,' said the rep. 

The deli still has locations in Madison Square Garden and Las Vegas.  

The closing comes at the same time the deli's main rival, Katz's Deli, which made a famous appearance in 'When Harry Met Sally,' expanded to include a Brooklyn takeout location.  

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