Zambelli back for July 4th 'Flashes of Freedom'

"Uncle Lou" Zambelli packs a little extra firepower into the crackling starbursts and exploding saturns when he knows they'll sail through the sky in Pittsburgh.

The World War II veteran and 84-year-old brother of the late George Zambelli Sr. has worked since childhood for the New Castle business that Italian immigrants founded in 1893.

Using his teeth and string to bind hand-packed shells, Zambelli worked in a small concrete bunker Thursday preparing a few final "bombs" for this weekend's Fourth of July spectacular.

"I have what they call a working tongue," Zambelli said, spitting out string to reveal a deeply grooved tongue. "If I try to eat anything salty, I'm finished."

Sunday night's show during the EQT Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta will mark Zambelli Fireworks Internationale's return to the holiday event after a one-year hiatus that allowed competitor Pyrotecnico of New Castle to perform.

Dr. George Zambelli Jr., the Zambelli Fireworks chairman, said he takes pride in doing Pittsburgh's "hometown display," even though his company will employ more than 1,500 seasonal workers nationwide to put on about 800 fireworks displays.

"It's our heritage and the fact that Pittsburgh was part of the company's formation," said Zambelli, an ophthalmologist. "We want to take out all the stops and make it the best. It's a powerful show. It's that power that people are used to, and it's what we're bringing back."

Zambelli partly owes his company's return to the fact that it produces fireworks displays for the Pittsburgh Pirates, said Michael Dongilly, senior vice president of ISM/USA, the Pittsburgh company producing the regatta.

Barges and launchers will be in place before Sunday because Zambelli will shoot off fireworks for the Pirates' home game against the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday at PNC Park.

Pyrotecnico got the regatta's business last year because it won the Gold Jupiter Award at the 2008 International Montreal Fireworks Festival.

"We got great feedback from last year," said Stephen Vitale, president of Pyrotecnico. "Obviously, we're disappointed that we won't be back. We always love to show our talents in our local city."

Vitale's company will produce "upwards of 700" fireworks shows nationwide, including displays in Ambridge, Monaca, Ross, Hampton, Cranberry and Shaler. He'll try to win Pittsburgh's regatta display next year.

"I think they got competitive this year," Vitale said about Zambelli's return.

George Zambelli said his company stepped it up in the past year by hiring acclaimed fireworks choreographer Patrick Brault.

Brault designed the opening-ceremony fireworks display for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He is part of a three-man design and production team working on Pittsburgh's display, which will feature a five-minute finale.

Eight men will shoot off about 15,000 fireworks from three river barges Sunday night. Almost everything will be done via computers capable of precisely timing the fireworks to music.

"People who do this work do it because they love it," Zambelli said.

Sunday's "Flashes of Freedom" show is designed to honor public safety professionals and members of the military, said Dongilly and Zambelli, whose son George Zambelli III is in basic training to become a Marine.

"It's a salute to those in uniform, whether they're in the military or they're police, firefighters or EMS," Dongilly said. "I think it's deserving, since this is a national holiday in honor of our nation's independence and freedom."

The colors of the fireworks will indicate the honors: red, yellow and white for firefighters; blue and gold for police; red, silver, white and blue for the military.

Songs to be played include "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay, "Beautiful Day" by U2, "God Bless America" performed by LeAnn Rimes, "My Hero" by Foo Fighters and "American Soldier" by Toby Keith.

Tribune-Review news partner WPXI-TV will broadcast the display live, and a simulcast of the production can be heard on KDKA-1020.

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