Phil Grucci, CEO and creative director of Fireworks by Grucci, was in Virginia at the company factory when the call came from board member Ken Searles. He had been chosen as honoree for The Gateway’s 75th anniversary gala on Saturday, Aug. 3. Would he accept?

“I did tell him, ‘This is a family honor,’” Grucci recalled, referring to the resourcefulness and talent of the Grucci legacy that began back in 1850 in Bari, Italy, with Angelo Lanzetta, the great-great-grandfather of Felix Grucci Sr., who the company is named after.

“This event for us is impressive,” he said. “We always had a very strong parallel to the Allan family. When you see their footprint, it’s similar to ours.”

Grucci pointed out they were into the sixth generation of active company members and the Allan family has a similar trajectory, starting with executive artistic director Paul Allan’s grandfather, Harry Pomeran, as Gateway’s first producer, followed by his uncle David Sheldon, his parents, Ruth and Stan Allan, and his sister, Robin.

Gateway executive artistic director Paul Allan weighed in on the gala choice. “The Grucci family is synonymous with Bellport, as is The Gateway, and they’ve been pillars of our community, so it seemed the appropriate time to honor Phil and his company’s legacy,” he said.

When was Grucci’s first Gateway show?

“I was in my early 20s when I saw ‘The Wizard of Oz,’” he recalled. “I remember being in the audience and thinking that you forgot you were in Bellport, that’s how transporting it was. The relationship with them came from watching and going to the galas and premieres with my grandmother and grandfather.”

(His cousin is performing in the upcoming “Beautiful.”)

He grew up on Circuit Road. It was in the 1990s when the family could start attending regularly.

“The Gateway is a go-to for Christmas gifts,” he said.

Grucci took a call from Tanzania during the interview. Their government wanted a portrait of their president presented in drones. Calls like that come through all the time; Grucci Fireworks creates 250 shows a year. Besides local events like the Fourth of July Grucci Fireworks in Montauk, they’ve created extravaganzas around the world for Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Saudi Arabia, China-Maldives, and prestigious local events like several Macy’s July 4th fireworks displays. Then there’s eight U.S. President inaugurations and others too numerous to mention.

“We’ve had some customers for 75 years,” he said.

So he’s been privy to musical theater venues worldwide. As for The Gateway, what did he think of their productions?

“The sophistication is unrealized,” he said. “It’s like New York City and Paris with quality performances. Just the work they do with the Haunted House, for example, and the amount of actors and the creativity. It’s a shrewd pivot to make the property active at that time of year. Now, that event is known all over Long Island.”

Grucci now has 230 full-time employees, including the Virginia factory, 30 in the Bellport headquarters, and 250 part time.

He’ll be bringing about 20 family members with him to the gala.

“I don’t look at this as a tribute to myself,” he said sincerely. “It’s to my family; they inspired me to always do the right thing, and to the extended family that works for me.”