Anthony P. "Tony" Gentile

Anthony P. Gentile “Tony,”(Proprietor of Wee Scotty's Lounge, West Babylon for 25 years) age 90 of Babylon Village, New York, passed away on April 12, 2025. Beloved husband of Albina, who predeceased him. Devoted father of Cindy, Raymond, Margaret “Peggy” Gallery (Jack), Anthony Jr., Dominick, Christine Gentile-Musser (Robert), Debbie Rocco (Robert), and Louis Burgio (Patty). Cherished Grandfather of Shane, Shannon, Travis, Jessica, Ryan, Jacqueline, Jake, Kristen, Steven, and Robert along with his Great Grandchildren of Liam and Matteo.

Anthony was the proud son of immigrant parents, Dominick, and Filomena Gentile, who in 1933 immigrated to the United States from their mountain village of San Martino d’Agri in the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Their first son Anthony was later born on August 1,1934 in Brooklyn, New York. He was raised, along with an older sister Madeline and a younger brother Paul, in the predominantly Italian neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

As a young adult he gained employment at the famous Roxy Theatre just off Times Square in New York City. He was trained as one of the theaters uniformed corps of male ushers and was later promoted to manager of the theater. He proudly hosted many movie stars, including Bette Davis starring in the six Oscars winning Best Picture “All About Eve”, debuting their premiers, at this “Cathedral of the Motion Picture” and world’s largest movie palace of the times.

He later joined the U.S. Army and became a proud veteran of the Korean War. After military service, he was employed as a master welder with the Grumman Corporation, a prominent aerospace and defense technology company, based in Long Island, N.Y. As NASA geared up for the Apollo program, many Northrop Grumman employees, including Anthony, played a vital role in the Moon and Satellite missions between 1961-1972.

In the late 60’s and early 70’s, Anthony began purchasing summer cottage homes from his co-workers at the Grumman Corporation. He learned to fix up and expand these homes, sold them, and continued to use this skill for a career in real estate and land development.

He later moved to Babylon Village where he chose to raise a family of eight children. Over the years, he purchased land and built more homes in Suffolk County. He also purchased and managed an entertainment business Wee Scotty’s in West Babylon and a Marina with 30 boat slips and a seafood bar in Seaford Bay, L.I.

Anthony was an active member of his local chapters of the Sons of Italy and the Knights of Columbus. He enjoyed taking his family to the Sons of Italy and Grumman Corporation picnics every year.

His true pleasures were holiday gatherings preserved with instilling his Italian heritage and traditions with his children and grandchildren. Anthony was never short of adventure. He loved planning the annual “August Family Road Trip” consisting of over a dozen vacations to Daytona Beach, Disney World, and Fort Wilderness. Others included a road trip to the World’s Fair Knoxville, TN, a cross-country trip from NY to CA and back, and multiple family reunion cruise ship vacations to the Caribbean. Some of his other favorite pastimes were visiting the movie theater, stage shows, playing cards, time at the beach and eating L.I. lobster and seafood.

Family and Friends can visit on Tuesday April 22, 2025 from 2:00PM to 4:30PM and 7:00PM to 9:00PM at Claude R. Boyd-Spencer Funeral Homes, 448 West Main St., Babylon, NY. Funeral Mass 10:30 AM on Wednesday April 23, 2025 at St.Joseph Church, 39 North Carll Ave., Babylon, NY. Burial with Military Honors to follow at North Babylon Cemetery.

Contributions in Anthony's memory may be made to Wounded Warriors, www.woundedwarriorproject.org/donate.

Fond memories and condolences can be left for the family at: www.Boyd-Spencer.com