You met Tony for the first time and you had a friend for life who would help, no matter what.” He was humble and unassuming and made friends with many, many people.
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“Not only were we friends on a professional level,” Brunetta added, “we were also good friends on a personal level. I had the pleasure of seeing all his children and now his grandchildren here at the Recreation Center. He was also passionate about the Village of Rockville Centre - he got involved - anything to better the quality of life.
“He was an exceptional human being, a passionate family man who was devoted to his wife, children and grandchildren. “He and I have been good friends for a long, long time,” said Parks and Recreation Superintendent Tony Brunetta. Agnes varsity hockey team after its 1985-86 season. DiBella also received an honor in recognition and “with grateful appreciation” for his service to his party and village and in testimony to his leadership of the Home Rule Party, and he also received a citation for his dedication and hard work from the St. DiBella also pushed to bring cable television to the village and for a public pool at the Recreation Center.įor all his work on behalf of his community, he received a number of honors over the years - from the Rockville Centre Housing Authority from the mayor and trustees acknowledging his service and from the Recreation Department for his work there, as well. He was particularly proud of other citizens committees he was instrumental in starting, including the Rockville Centre Beautification Committee and the Rockville Centre Guild for the Arts. During the building of the senior center, he gave much of his time to work on door frames and locks.”Īs part of his extensive service to the village, DiBella also volunteered on the Housing Authority’s board of trustees - and became its chairman. We had a very close relationship - he stopped by a few weeks ago. I his daughter and I was very proud of his son. “He was very easy to talk to and to work things out with. “I dealt with him for many years, not only as an individual taking care of my trucks but our friendship developed to the point where he was my campaign manager when I ran for office,” said former Mayor Leonard Sandel. He loved politics and wanted to see things done right in the village. So the next year I ran for village trustee and was elected. He said, ‘I’m going to run you for mayor,’ to which I laughed. One day when I was fire chief, I was all alone in the office when he rang the bell and came in. He was a very good businessman and had a very good reputation throughout the industry. “Tony was a very fine man,” said former Mayor Eugene Murray. Although DiBella was a village trustee, filling in for a vacancy, he was never elected to that post. He and his family would mount election placards on its sides and its front and rear bumpers and then park it in strategic locations to hand out helium-filled campaign balloons and literature. He was also instrumental in managing Eugene Murray’s successful runs for office. During campaign season, he would turn the family’s 28-foot Winnebago into a campaign headquarters on wheels.
He successfully ran the campaigns of Leonard Sandel for mayor and Jim Rochford and Sal Milano for trustees. He was 82.Īctive in village politics, DiBella is credited with reinvigorating the Home Rule Party, and served as its president. Long-time Rockville Centre resident Agatino “Tino” DiBella died on March 9 after a brief illness.