Children mourn the loss of William Michael Zagarino

William Michael Zagarino, president of Zagarino Realty, died on May 24 after a two-year battle with a bone marrow disorder known as amyloidosis. He was 84.

Zagarino’s business, Zagarino Realty was founded by his grandfather Frank and is coming up on its 100th anniversary, according to his son, Bill Jr., who currently operates the business.

Zagarino’s daughter Patti Ann said that his friends and colleagues approached her at his funeral to talk about his kindness, reliability and reputation as a handyman. “My father would always say you’re over-thinking things,” she said, referring to his approach to fixing common appliances when they were broken.

Zagarino grew up in Bellmore and went to Mepham High School, where he met his wife of 62 years, Ann Marie. “They were high school sweethearts,” Bill Jr. said.

Zagarino went to Millersville University in Pennsylvania, where he was a Varsity wrestler his sophomore and junior year. Upon graduating, he moved to Fort Salonga and taught wrestling at Amityville High School. From 1957 to 1980, Zagarino officiated wrestling at high schools across Suffolk County and represented the county twice at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Wrestling Championships. Zagarino was on the Board of Directors of Friends of Long Island Wrestling Inc., was past president of the Long Island Wrestling Officials Association and is an inductee of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Although he no longer lived in Bellmore, Bill Jr. said that his father was an active member of the community. He was the past president and a zone chairman of the Bellmore Lions Club and a Melvin Jones fellow for Lions International. He was recognized at the Bellmore Lions Club’s 70th anniversary dinner in April for his commitment to the organization. Zagarino was also the past president of the Bellmore Chamber of Commerce and received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the organization in 2016.

Zagarino is survived by his wife Ann Marie Friedel Zagarino; his brother, Patrick Zagarino and his wife, Jeanette Zagarino; his daughter, Patti Ann Zagarino Bradley and her husband, George Bradley and his son, Bill Zagarino. Zagarino is also survived by his granddaughter, Kara Zagarino Bradley.

“His passions are his granddaughter, his love of travel and family vacations,” said Bill Jr.

Zagarino would visit Patti Ann in Florida every other month since the day his granddaughter Kara was born. Patt Anni said that whenever a household appliance would break, “Kara would always say wait until papa comes to fix it.” Kara, now 23, frequently visited Zagarino while she was studying at Monmouth University in New Jersey. According to Patti Ann, the two were inseparable when they were together.

Zagarino was buried in the Zagarino family mausoleum at Calvary Cemetery in Woodside.