Long Island Vettes - Membership Profile

Remembering Tony – Richie Shields

For those of you who aren’t aware a good friend and co-founder of Long Island Vettes Tony (aka Big Tony Z.) Zabrocki left this world on Saturday morning October 7^th,2006 at about 10:30 AM. Tony was 56 years old.

Tony had been divorced from his wife Myra for the better part of 15 or so years. Tony’s next of kin is his son Nick who is now about 30 years old. His son Nick is (or was) a teacher (I believe at Holy Trinity High School) and Tony was very proud of that fact. Nick is married and I believe expecting his first child shortly. Apparently they were unable to immediately locate his son and it took some time to track him down. Tony had recently decided to improve his health and had given up smoking and had joked with me about both of us going on a diet (of course neither of us did). There was a reason they called him Big Tony.

Tony (center) at the 2003 Vanderbilt Cup Show
From left to right: Rob Tringali, Big Tony Z.,
Drew "Batman" Moore, Tommy Westhall.

Yeah he was big - but big hearted also. If you ever needed a favor, if you needed help, he’d be there. It’s funny that I should be the one writing this because half the time Tony and I would be arguing about some stupid thing or another. Never really amounted to very much and after a couple of days it would just blow over. The one area of common ground where we could always agree was the love of the Corvettes and the Corvette hobby itself. Tony and I first meet back in 1989 when I was then president of Long Island Corvette Owners Association (LICOA). Tony was Governor of LICOA in 1991 and Vice President in 1993. He was also a member of South Shore Corvette Owners Association (now defunct) and I believe he was their competition director. He also was instrumental in helping Mr. Larry Merow (now deceased) to start the (original) ZR-1 Registry in the early nineties. In the mid to late 90’s Tony started and operated the LT-1 Registry which was very successful for many years. The LT-1 Registry grew to be too much work and finally Tony was forced to give it up. During those years Tony remained very active in the Corvette hobby and was repeatedly selected as a celebrity judge for the annual Corvettes at Carlisle meet each August in Pennsylvania.Along with Andy Roderick and Rob Simone, Tony founded the Corvette Cavalry a national organization for Corvette information exchange. The Cavalry continues to operate even today.

Tony (second from Right) at Holiday Party in 2004 with Tom Westhall on the right and Ted and Carol Kalolekas on the left.

Tony (left) presenting awards to Mr. Joe Brown
at the 2002 TGIF Show

Classic Big Tony Z. - supervising! -
North Bellmore Library Show 2006

Tony (left) accepting award from Richie Shields at "Wheels at the Beach Show" 2006

Tony (center) with Richie Shields (left) and Drew Moore Right) on the Winery Cruise 2005

It was principally at Tony’s insistence that we started Long Island Vettes. Tony was the first Vice President of Long Island Vettes and an invaluable assistance in getting the club rolling.

Anthony was born on March 2, 1950. He was 56 years old. He was married to Myra Gold for 23 years and they were divorced about 12 years ago. Anthony's son, Nicholas, is 31 years old. Nick is / was an English teacher at Holy Trinity High School in Hicksville, Long Island. Nick and his wife, Michelle, are expecting their first child toward the end of October 2006.

Anthony’s brother Gerard was born on July 16, 1951 and died on November 16, 1985. He was 34 years old. He was killed by a fall off the roof of a six story apartment building in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn and his body was discovered in the courtyard. Death was listed as 'pending further investigation'. There were no witnesses, so we don't know if he was murdered or if it was an accident. Anthony adamantly always said that Gerard was murdered.

Tony’s father, George, was born on June 7, 1916 and died on May 13, 1967. He was 50 years old. He died after falling down a flight of stairs and fracturing his skull. His mother, Mary Serafin Zabrocki, was born on May 17, 1922 and died on March 15, 1979. She also was 56 years old and she died of cancer.

Tony’s sister Kathryn Zabrocki Strode and her husband, Peter, live in Gilmanton, NH. Peter is a retired Fleet Marine Force Navy Corpsman. Kathryn served 4 years active duty with the U.S. Air Force and 6 years in the U.S. Army Reserves. They have a 19 year old son, Andrew, who is a U.S. Marine. He is currently stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, NC. Tony’s nephew LCPL Andrew Strode is scheduled to be deployed to Iraq in August 2007.

Ironically; although they never meet, Andrew, Tony’s nephew is also a Corvette lover. Perhaps it’s genetic.

Tony (right) on North Fork Cruise Summer 2005
with Richard and Pamela Shields

Tony at end of rally in 2002.

Tony accepting best in division - Spring of 2006

In his childhood years Tony lived at 83-15 Lefferts Blvd in Kew Gardens Queens with his younger brother Gerard and younger sister Kathryn. Each was about a year apart. He attended Holy Child of Jesus, Catholic elementary school in Richmond Hill and graduated in 1964. He went to Richmond Hill High, till the family moved to Bensonhurst Brooklyn. After that he went to New Utrecht High in Brooklyn graduated in 1968. After high school he moved to Long Island. His fondest memories of his early days in Kew Gardens / Richmond Hills were lots of chestnut trees and the chestnut fights, sleigh riding in Forest Park and playing a lot of stickball and baseball.

Tony (second from right) with some friends spring 2003
Left to right: Richie Shields, Joe Ulino, Ted Kalolekas,
Tony Zabrocki and Bob Pandy

Most recently he resided at 339 East Chester Street in Long Beach. Tony was a serious Corvette enthusiast and involved in the Corvette lifestyle. He was known principally by his nickname of “Big Tony Z”. He was the President and founder of The LT-1 Registry, president and founder of The Corvette Cavalry, Celebrity Judge at Corvettes at Carlisle Penn., Co-Founder and past Vice President of Long Island Vettes, and past Vice President, past Governor of Long island Corvette Owners Association, as a past member Corvette Society and was instrumental in organizing the ZR-1 Registry. His Corvette was on the cover of Autoweek magazine for the opening of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Kentucky. He has had many articles about Corvettes published in various Corvette magazines. Corvette Racing, Showing and driving were his passion. His sister Kathryn, his son Nicholas and his daughter-in-law Michelle survive Tony.

Richie S. & Big Tony Z. at the North Bellmore Library Show 2006

I’m sure Tony meant different things to many different people – to me he will always be remembered as a valued friend. His passing has left a decidedly big hole in the Corvette Community at large and in my small corner of the world.

Rest in peace my friend.

Tony (left) presenting award to Bill Hermanek at the Vettes at the Vanderbilt Show in 2005

Tony (show here in spring of 2006) had been planning to purchase a motorcycle - unfortunately that never happened.

Tony with his 1974 Yellow Corvette
North Bellmore Library Show
2006