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Rozzi's Famous Fireworks
| Article
# : |
17557 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
7 / 1990 |
2,298 Words |
| Author
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Carmen Carter
Carmen Carter writes feature articles for the Cincinnati Post. |
The awaited moment nears. Fireworks Control begins its countdown. Pyrotechnical engineers receive their cues. Buttons are pressed, electrical contact is made, and BOOOOMMM! The July Fourth night sky explodes in radiating colors, fiery fingers, and comets bursting into spheres of twinkling stars.
To any member of the Rozzi family of Cincinnati, it's all in a day's work, and it's the way the Rozzis have made their living since 1895, when the family started manufacturing and exploding fireworks. They wouldn't dream of missing this Independence Day show, but the very nature of their work -its inherent danger and complexity -means they get to relax and enjoy their creations only rarely. "We take a glance now and then, but we have to watch what we're doing," says Arthur Rozzi, vice president of Rozzi's Famous Fireworks/Tri-State Manufacturing Co.
Lots of other people have marveled at the work of this fourth-generation Italian-American family. In addition to manufacturing fireworks for clients like Disney World, the Rozzis have also helped clients celebrate special occasions, such as the 1964 Democratic National Convention and the Statue of Liberty's one-hundredth birthday party. The Rozzis have lit up the skies of many a city, including Montreal, St.Louis, Cleveland, Denver, and New Orleans. A typical Independence Day weekend for them includes an average of thirty community shows.
John Conkling, executive secretary of the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA), says the Rozzis are "one of the leading American manufacturers of display fireworks. There were only about five companies involved in putting on fireworks for the Statue of
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