Grucci wins new Guinness record for fireworks flag

Bellport-based Fireworks by Grucci has officially claimed another world record, this time with a massive representation of an American flag dubbed the "largest pyrotechnic image" recorded.

Guinness World Records certified the record last week for the 600-foot-high by 900-foot-wide portrayal of an American flag, designed, engineered and displayed by Fireworks by Grucci in synchronized bursts of fireworks.

The record-setting, sky-painted flag was displayed over Fort McHenry in Baltimore on Sept. 13 as part of the 200th anniversary celebration of the composition of "The Star Spangled Banner." The 20-minute fireworks performance was visible from Baltimore's Inner Harbor to Fort McHenry, whose bombardment in the War of 1812 inspired Francis Scott Key to write the poem that would become the lyrics for the national anthem.

"We are a proud American family, so it was a unique honor to produce this performance, given the significance of the national anthem to our nation's history," Phil Grucci, Fireworks by Grucci president and CEO, said in a statement. "We clearly executed it at a scale consistent with the monumental size 'The Star Spangled Banner' holds in our national consciousness. It was truly 'one for the books.' "

Fireworks by Grucci, a sixth-generation, family-owned and -operated company, also holds the Guinness World Record for the "largest fireworks display" ever recorded.

The Gruccis achieved the title with a performance displaying 479,651 fireworks above Dubai's skyline on New Year's Eve 2013.