Born and raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Gino Martinez attended and graduated from Los Alamos High School. He then went on to attend the University of New Mexico (Los Alamos Branch).

Gino came to Farmington in 1980 to begin work in the oil and gas industry, where he stayed for 34 years. During that time, he was also working part-time refurbishing appliances and then reselling them to people who were in need of a great working appliance at an affordable price.

Eventually, he started doing well in his part-time job compared to his full-time work in the oil and gas field. He also got a lot of training in appliance repairs. In 2014, he started Next Century Gadgetry to sell refurbished appliances at discounted prices. Over the years, the appliance store has flourished and became a highly successful small business.