East End Winery Owner, Marco Borghese, Dies In Car Crash

The East End winery community mourns loss of Marco Borghese, owner of Castello di Borghese Vineyard, who was killed after colliding head on with a box truck in Wading River, according to police.

Borghese, 70, of Cutchogue, was driving his blue 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee Eastbound on Route 25A, just West of Dogwood Drive, on July 30th, when the incident occurred.

Police say Borghese “failed to navigate a curve in the roadway,” and as a result, crashed into a Westbound International Harvest delivery truck.

The driver of the truck, Stanley Paczowski, 60, of Ridge, was accompanied by Vito Racanelli, 26 of Levittown. Neither were injured in the crash.

Borghese was transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center and died shortly after the crash. It took more than a dozen firefighters to get Borghese out of the fatal wreck.

In a sad turn of events, Borghese had just lost his wife, Ann Marie Borghese, to cancer in the past month. She was was diagnosed with last year.

The Long Island Wine Council issued a statement about the Borghese’s on Tuesday: “The Borgheses quickly established themselves as vital members of our industry and the community…Just four years after moving to the North Fork, Marco was elected president of the Long Island Wine Council. With his European charm and relaxed elegance, he was instrumental in leading the organization through some difficult, transitional times”

“Ann Marie was equally indispensable to the region,” continued the statement. “Vivacious and intelligent, she actively contributed to industry marketing strategies and activities while tirelessly promoting the family’s wines and the North Fork across the New York metropolitan area.”

“The Long Island Wine Council and its members will greatly miss our good friends Ann Marie and Marco, and we join together in sending our deepest condolences to Allegra, Giovanni, Fernando and the entire Borghese family.”

The couple left behind three children, Allegra, Fernando, and Giovanni. No charges have been filed and the investigation is still ongoing.