Anthony Nicholas Sacco

Be honest. Be caring. Be loving. Be loyal to family and friends - Tony Sacco

Obituary

Anthony Nicholas Sacco
August 7, 1945 – October 21, 2026

Anthony Nicholas Sacco, 81, of Brooksville, Florida, passed away on October 21, 2026. A devoted husband, father, grandfather, and brother, Anthony built a life around the people he loved. In his own words, “Family is number one.”

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 7, 1945, to Gaetano and Filomena Sacco, Anthony moved to rural New Jersey as a boy. The woods near his childhood home opened a world of exploration and began a lifelong love of hunting, fishing, and the outdoors. He graduated from Rutgers University and pursued a career as a private investigator and eventually personal security, infamously providing security to Whitney Houston and Lou Reed. As a young man, he worked alongside his father in the family plumbing business. The fondest memories from his career, however, occurred while he shared ownership of The American Outdoorsman, a sporting goods store with his brothers Joe and Lou.

On July 12, 1986, Anthony married Xiomara, with whom he shared 40 dedicated years of marriage and a family that became his greatest source of pride. Asked about his biggest personal achievement, he wrote of being a good husband, father, and grandfather—and seeing his children do the same.

Anthony loved the Mets, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, autoracing, homemade Italian food, and a good cup of coffee. Jackson Hole, Wyoming, held a special place in his heart, as did trips through the American West and visits to the Daytona 500. His stories revealed an adventurous spirit, a mischievous streak, and a life lived on his own terms. His high school yearbook described him with a few simple phrases: “Brooklyn’s biggest defender…if there’s not a riot, he’ll start one.”

Some of his happiest memories, however, were the simplest: snow days with his children so they could be home to watch movies or go sledding. He looked forward to gathering with family for holidays. He loved a house full of his children and their friends and made a point to make his house a home base to his children’s friends. Having grown up in a family that could not afford many vacations, he made a point of giving his own children those experiences and the memories that came with them. Annual trips to Florida to go to Disney World and Universal Studios eventually coalesced into a trip that would be cemented into his family’s history: attendance at the 1998 Daytona 500 where they witnessed arguably NASCAR’s greatest moment as Dale Earnhardt won the Great American Race for the first and only time. Tony held a Panasonic camcorder with a fully charged battery to capture the moment so it could be relived as a family.

Anthony admired his father for being a hardworking, loving man who was home every night. He carried that example into his own life. In his diary, he said he wanted to be remembered as a loving son, brother, father, and grandfather, “but especially a loving husband.”

He is survived by his beloved wife, Xiomara Sacco; his daughter, Sasha Figueroa, and her husband, Edwin; his son, Gaetano Sacco, and his wife, Talia; and his son, Nicholas Sacco, and his wife, Kourtney. He was the cherished grandfather of Alex, Olivia, Isabella, Adrian, Vienna, Joel & Joanna Lee. He is also survived by his siblings, Thomas, Theresa, and Louis.

Anthony was preceded in death by his parents, Gaetano and Filomena Sacco; his brother, Joseph Sacco; and his mother-in-law, Ana Altagracia Toribio.

A Holy Mass honoring Anthony’s life will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. at Church of the Resurrection, 333 Terrace Way, Lakeland, Florida 33813. A public viewing will occur from 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. There will be a Memorial Service held in New Jersey on Wednesday, December 2, 2026.

Among the values Anthony hoped to pass on were these simple instructions: “Be honest. Be caring. Be loving. Be loyal to family & friends.” His family will carry those words—and the memories of a lifetime together—with them always.

Donations Welcome

When asked by his journal "What are your hopes for the future of the world?" Tony answered, "No wars and an honest government. Cure for all cancers". The family believes the first part is unrealistic, so they are welcoming donations to the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation. Tony loved his medical team there and we know it would make him happy. Please use the link below and donate in his memory. 

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