Tony Zappone, an American journalist and radio personality, died on May 15, 2026, at the age of 78.
Born Anthony Nicholas Zappone on October 9, 1947, in Tampa, Florida, he built a career in journalism and broadcasting that also included work as an author, newspaper, radio and television news correspondent, and real estate consultant. According to his biography, he became the youngest credentialed journalist to cover a major national political convention at age 16.
He also took photographs of President John F. Kennedy during Kennedy’s five-hour visit to Tampa in 1963, and those images later became part of the John F. Kennedy Library’s holdings.
Tony Zappone, 78, American journalist and radio personality.