Vincent Grucci, fireworks family member who helped revitalize Patchogue, dies at 58

Vincent Grucci, who left his family's legendary Bellport fireworks business to become a financial planner and later created an events series that helped revitalize downtown Patchogue, died Sunday while traveling in Colombia. He was 58.

Grucci, whose brother Felix is chief executive of Fireworks by Grucci, died almost exactly 39 years after an explosion on Nov. 26, 1983, at the company's factory that killed his father James and another family member.

Vincent Grucci, who had moved in recent years to Palm Beach, Florida, had worked briefly for the family firm before going out on his own, family members said Monday. He operated his own investments and financial planning business, Grucci and Associates.

Clients sought his advice on financial matters — and for other aspects of their lives, said Grucci's mother, Patricia Perry.

“He enjoyed meeting and helping people," she told Newsday on Monday. "He enjoyed being with people, helping them and guiding them."

Grucci was in Colombia over the weekend while in the process of purchasing a condominium in the South American country, his uncle, Felix J. Grucci Jr., a former U.S. congressman and Brookhaven Town supervisor, told Newsday. He was hospitalized with internal bleeding Saturday and died the next day, Grucci said.

Perry said her niece, Danielle Butler, was in Colombia Monday to arrange to bring Grucci's remains back to the United States. She said her son likely would be cremated in Colombia.

Funeral arrangements were pending the return of her son's remains, Perry said.

Besides his mother and brother Felix, Grucci is survived by three sisters, Debra Sullivan of Riparius, New York, Collette Saxe of Richfield Springs, New York, and Michelle Smothergill of Shirley; and two other brothers, James Grucci of Patchogue, and Gary Grucci of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Grucci had grown up in Bellport before his family moved to Middle Island. He graduated from Longwood High School, his mother said.

While working as a financial planner, he was president of the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce from 2000 to 2003. At one time, Patchogue was a down-and-out downtown pockmarked with empty storefronts, said David Kennedy, the chamber's executive director.

Kennedy called Grucci “a true community leader. He was definitely instrumental in turning Patchogue around.” He said Grucci also helped create the Greater Patchogue Foundation, which funds events such as parades and village beautification efforts.

Another of Grucci's ideas was a series of summer events called "Alive After Five," which features music and other programs designed to draw shoppers to the village. Kennedy said Grucci felt the street festival would be "a great way to create some downtown excitement in our area. This was at a time when, believe it or not, Patchogue had no nightlife whatsoever.”

Felix Grucci recalled being skeptical when his nephew first pitched the idea because he didn't think people would flock to Patchogue late at night.

“Shows how much I knew about local entertainment,” he said.

Kennedy said the series has helped transform the village.

“That probably did more than he imagined it would do," he said. "We’ll be doing 'Alive After Five' forever because it’s something that people expect of Patchogue.”

By Carl MacGowan

carl.macgowan@newsday.comCarlMacGowan

Carl MacGowan is a Long Island native who covers Brookhaven Town after having previously covered Smithtown, Suffolk County courts and numerous spot news and feature stories over his 20-plus year career at Newsday.