Politics Aside

If you’re prone to fishing or birdwatching along the Gulf, don’t be startled if you happen upon half the Sabato clan doing the same thing.

That would be Sabato of Antonio Sabato Jr. fame, who once graced a 90-foot-high billboard in Times Square wearing nothing but a pair of Calvin Klein briefs and whose 30-year career as a Hollywood heartthrob included acting on “General Hospital,” “Melrose Place” and numerous reality shows.

Life these days is much quieter for Sabato, 48: He recently moved from California to Florida’s Gulf Coast, where the local islands are his weekend happy place.

“We love taking a boat and just hanging out,” he says. “They have the most beautiful waters out there, the weather is amazing and you can swim and fish all year long. We also take a lot of hikes. We have the most beautiful birds in the country, which I am fascinated by.”

Now living in Clearwater with fiancé Katia Fernandez, Sabato is only a half hour’s drive away from his mother and stepfather, while his sister and nearly college-age daughter are considering relocation to the Sunshine State as well. 

His move was due to frustration with the progressive policies of California, he has said. A staunch Republican, Sabato was one of few in the entertainment industry to publicly support Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, not only speaking at the Republican National Convention but also (unsuccessfully) running for U.S. Congress in 2018 – all of which led to him being dropped by talent agents and forced to change careers, he says.

Now, Sabato has put politics aside and embraced a private life out of the spotlight, currently working for a construction company owned by family friends.

“The opportunity came when no one else gave me a hand or helped me out and I was completely blacklisted from Hollywood,” he says. “I had no choice, but then it turned out that I’m really good at it, and I’m supporting my kids and my family.”

But the move and lifestyle change haven’t been easy, he says: “I love what I do. But I have to be away from my kids because they’re in California. Katia’s daughter is in Miami. We have to make a lot of sacrifices, but there’s nothing we can do.”

No stranger to sacrifices, the Italian-born father of three was in his teens when he immigrated to the United States with his family, settling in Los Angeles in 1984. Show business runs in his blood: His father, Antonio Sabato Sr., was a film and television star who acted extensively in spaghetti Western movies, while his Czech-born mother, née Yvonne Saghy, was a child circus performer.

Although Sabato is a practicing Catholic and an avid churchgoer, he also has a powerful and painful Jewish connection: His maternal grandmother was a Holocaust survivor, and most of her family perished in Auschwitz.

The family name is immortalized at Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center. But Sabato’s mother – who was raised Catholic and whose mother hid their Jewish background – didn’t discover the truth until she was much older, eventually learning about the family’s deportations to Auschwitz through the Red Cross tracing service. Tragically, Sabato’s grandmother was found murdered in Prague before they had a chance to openly discuss the family history.

“My grandmother was a survivor, but what happened after that was even worse because the Russians took over the Czech Republic, dividing the country and ultimately killing my grandmother,” says Sabato. “These are things that I found out later when I grew up. Basically, she was found shot at her apartment in Prague.”

While Sabato’s relationship with Christ runs deep, his ties to the Jewish community are deeply personal as well, he says.

“It’s in my blood. Jesus was Jewish, too. My mom took me and my sister to visit our first concentration camp when I was 10 years old. Most people, especially kids, should go see the most horrible thing that ever happened on this planet with their own eyes and understand what evil looks like. We need to be reminded of the past so we can live better futures.”

Sabato – whose three children, Jack, Mina and Antonio Sabato III (with exes Virginia Madsen, Kristin Rossetti Biasi and Cheryl Nunes, respectively), are now 25, 17 and 9 – strives to teach his kids about the value of giving back, he says. 

For the past few years, he has helped raise money and awareness for Best Buddies International, a nonprofit that provides friendships, job opportunities and inclusive living environments for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver, the organization has a presence in 50 countries. 

Last fall, for his dedication to the organization’s cause and its mission of inclusion for all, Sabato received the Honorary Champion of the Year Award at a gala event held by Best Buddies Palm Beach.

Volunteering has impacted every aspect of his life, he says, including “how I raise my kids, how I speak to other people, why I go to church and all the good things that we really don’t pay attention to because we’re going day by day.”

Despite his day job and philanthropic endeavors, Sabato hasn’t given up on creative pursuits. He’s currently working on a memoir and has appeared in three recent movies. One of those, currently in post-production, is “One Nation Under God,” which he’s very excited about.

“That’s a very interesting film, where I play a senator running for presidency, but we shot this movie even before I ran for Congress,” he says. “It’s a film that the whole country should see.”

Another film, “Santa in Training,” came out in December, telling the story of a deadbeat dad being trained by elves to take over the role of a retiring Santa Claus. And a third movie, “Snow White,” which is also in post-production, is a modern retelling of the classic fairy tale.

Clearly, while life in the Sunshine State may be quieter for Sabato, he’s not slowing down any time soon.

“I’m involved with everything. I never stop. I get bored quickly,” he says. “And I teach my kids to live a life where, if you have something to say, speak it. Be involved with community. Talk about what you need to talk about. Be passionate about things in life. Don’t get lazy. Find something you really love, and do the best you can, you know? Find your dreams, and make it happen.” O

Photo by Carlos Aristizabal