National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum
605 East 222nd Street
Euclid, OH 44123
USA
E-mail: Polkashop@aol.com
Phone: 216-261-3263
Toll Free: 1-800-66POLKA
Fax: 216-261-4134
Tony Trontel was among the best-known Cleveland-Style Polka accordionists in the
Penn-Ohio area. Joining forces with his cousin Jake Zagger, their Trontel Zagger
Orchestra was one of the most popular Pittsburgh-area bands of the 1960s and 1970s.
The band was famous for their New Year jam sessions at the Slovenian Workingmen’s
Educational Home in his hometown of Sharon, Pennsylvania. Tony played the accordion
by age nine and, as a teen, performed with his own polka band on radio station WPIX.
He received his musicians’ union card at fourteen. He appeared with many bands before
organizing the Trontel-Zagger Orchestra in 1965. Tony was a member of the Norm Kobal
Orchestra, the Polka Rhythm Boys, the Starlighters and Veseli Fantje, as well as
Tony Trontel and Friends. He recorded the album, “The Polka Express,” with Jake and
appeared on the Grammy-nominated Penn-Ohio Polka Pals anthology. For a Bob Kravos
recording, Tony was invited to perform with daughter Toni as the vocalist. Tony was
proud of his heritage and visited Slovenia many times. He was active with the Slovenian
Home in Sharon and the Slovene National Benefit Society (SNPJ). He was a founder
of the United Musicians Polka Association of Pennsylvania (UMPAPA) and the Penn Ohio
Polka Pals, which chose Tony for Musician of the Year in 2003.
Inducted in 2014
www.polkafame.com © National Cleveland Style Polka Hall of Fame and Museum, 605
East 222nd Street, Euclid, OH 44123, USA.
