Saturday, December 27, 2003
A tribute fireworks display will be held on New Year's Eve in New Castle.
By LAURE CIOFFI
VINDICATOR NEW CASTLE BUREAU
NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Fireworks magnate George Zambelli had a strong heart -- even at the very end of his life.
"It was unbelievable how his heart touched people. He loved everybody. To the end, his heart was the strongest part of his body when he passed away. [The doctors] couldn't believe how strong his heart was," said his daughter, Marcy Zambelli.
George Zambelli, 79, died Christmas Day in West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh after suffering organ failure due to influenza, his daughter said.
He was the head of New Castle-based Zambelli Fireworks Internationale, the oldest and largest fireworks company in the country.
Zambelli was the third generation to operate the business, learning it from his father, Antonio, who immigrated to the United States from Naples, Italy, in 1893.
The company produces thousands of fireworks displays every year, with the largest being Thunder Over Louisville, held each April as the kickoff to the Kentucky Derby Festival.
Zambelli worked well past the age when most men retire. He was in at dawn and stayed well past nightfall.
"What else am I going to do? I have no hobbies. I've raised my family," Zambelli told The Vindicator in 2002.
Surrounded by family
Marcy Zambelli said all of his children and grandchildren were present when he died in the late afternoon.
"We all said today is God's glorious day and he needed someone to go up there and put on a fireworks display. He left at 4:30 p.m., just before it got dark," she said.
Fellow fireworks aficionados say they will miss George Zambelli Sr.
"Mr. Z was fireworks. He was an icon to the industry and the most recognizable fireworks name in the country, if not the world. Above all, George Zambelli lived life as a true gentleman," said Bruce J. Zoldan, president and CEO of B.J. Alan Co. of Youngstown. The company operates the Phantom Fireworks chain of retail showrooms.
John Steinberg, president of Pyrotechnics Guild International, said the industry will miss Zambelli.
"George was someone who labored tremendously to promote fireworks as an art form -- to promote fireworks as a legitimate part of any entertainment venue or public activity," Steinberg said.
Pyrotechnics pioneer
Zambelli helped introduce pyrotechnics to sporting events and major theatrical productions, he said.
"He was a tireless, ceaseless champion of fireworks as one of America's premier art forms. He was a master of publicity. George is probably the only public face that probably millions of Americans know of in terms of pyrotechnics," Steinberg said.
Zambelli, his company and family were the focus of nationally and internationally televised programs on MSNBC, the Discovery Channel, the Learning Channel and the British Broadcasting Corp.
He was even the subject of a book, "Zambelli: The First Family of Fireworks" by Nan DeVincent Hayes.
Marcy Zambelli said her father will be remembered as someone who loved life.
"He had been battling cancer for 10 1/2 years. He had a positive attitude. He never let cancer take the best of him," she said.
'I say no to nobody'
Zambelli was often in the office early each morning and stayed late into the evening, answering his own telephone, working with customers big and small.
"I say no to nobody. If it's the Boy Scouts in some faraway place, I will not say no," he said in a 2002 interview.
He went on to say that he believed fireworks are a joy to everyone. "They're magic. They are loved by everyone in a different way."
He produced fireworks displays for several U.S. presidents and was honored by many organizations. Most recently he received the Silver Buffalo Award, the highest honor given by the Boy Scouts of America. He had been providing fireworks displays to the group since the 1970s.
As a tribute to Zambelli, his wife of 59 years, Connie, is planning a free fireworks display in downtown New Castle on New Year's Eve. It's tentatively set to begin at 9 p.m.
Marcy Zambelli said more details will be released later.