{{coat|date=February 2026}} {{Short description|Croatian-American entrepreneur (born 1930)}}
{{Infobox person | name = Anthony Maglica | image = <!-- filename only, no "File:" or "Image:" prefix, and no enclosing brackets --> | caption = <!--Image caption--> | birth_name = Anthony Maglica | birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1930|11}} | birth_place = New York City, US | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (DEATH date then BIRTH date) --> | death_place = | other_names = Tony Maglica | occupation = Businessman, machinist | organization = Mag Instrument, Inc. | years_active = 1974–present | known_for = Maglite flashlights | notable_works = }}
'''Anthony "Tony" Maglica''' (Croatian: '' Ante Maglica'') (born November 1930<ref name="CNNMoney Article">{{cite news|url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2004/09/01/8184669/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081007182452/http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2004/09/01/8184669/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 7, 2008|title=Fortune Small Business: Anthony Maglica profile|accessdate=2006-12-14|work=CNN|first=Kemp|last=Powers|date=2004-09-01|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="CroatiaFest">{{cite news |last=Reilly |first=Jerry |date=<!--Date unknown--> |title=The Tony Maglica Story |url=https://www.croatiafest.org/stories/view/153933649 |work=CroatiaFest |location=Seattle |access-date=February 9, 2026}}</ref>) is the owner and founder of Mag Instrument Inc, the company that manufactures the Maglite flashlight which was designed by Maglica. The Maglite is a powerful and durable flashlight and for many years was the standard issued gear used by police officers in the USA.
==Early life== Although born in New York City, Maglica grew up on the island of Zlarin, which is off the coast of Croatia. During the Great Depression, his family returned to their homeland. World War II ravaged Croatia, and in 1950 he returned to the United States, settling in Ontario, California. Speaking little English, he obtained work as a machinist. While working there, he learned that one of his bosses operated a side business machining hydraulic parts. Maglica learned of a metal lathe for sale for $1000 and convinced the seller to accept a $125 deposit, most of his money at the time, with the remainder being paid off with monthly payments.<ref name="CNNMoney Article"/>
That business grew into his own machine shop which he incorporated in 1974 called Mag Instrument Inc.
==Family Affairs== In 1992 there was a shakeup at the company when Claire discovered that Tony had been arranging to leave the company to his children from a previous marriage upon his death. This started a bitter family battle that would last over a decade and result in Claire and her sons leaving the company, Claire filing a palimony lawsuit against Tony for $200 million, and Claire's sons starting their own flashlight company in 1997.<ref name="Bison1">{{Cite web |url=http://www.bisonsportslights.com/Home.html |title=Bison Sportslights, Inc. |access-date=April 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011206050444/http://www.bisonsportslights.com/Home.html |archivedate=December 6, 2001 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Palimony lawsuit=== In 1992, after learning of Maglica's business plans, their relationship ended and Claire filed a palimony suit for, among other things, breach of contract, breach of partnership agreement, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and quantum meruit in Orange County Superior Court seeking $200 million in damages. The lawsuit went to jury trial, covered by Court TV to large and involved audiences,<ref name="romney">{{cite news |author1=Romney, Lee| url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-05-08-mn-55189-story.html |title=Palimony trial is a daytime hit Courts: Broadcast of split of Claire and Tony Maglica, a high society Orange County couple, draws viewers nationwide. Loyalties are about evenly divided|work=Los Angeles Times|date=May 8, 1994 |access-date=2010-06-24|df=mdy-all}}</ref> awarded Claire $84 million in the Spring of 1994.<ref name="ContractsCrandallWhaley">{{Cite book|last=Crandall & Whaley|title=Cases, Problems, and Materials on Contracts|publisher=Aspen Publishers|year=2004|pages=327–33|isbn=0-7355-2797-0}}</ref>
The judgment was appealed to the California Courts of Appeal where, in 1998, was reversed and remanded. The court stated that the award was incorrect because the damages should have been the value of her services, not the amount of the benefit of her services.<ref name="ContractsCrandallWhaley"/> After being remanded and requiring a new trial, Claire settled with Mag Instrument Inc in 2000 for $29 million.<ref name="LATimes The Dark Light">{{Cite news|last=Morin|first=Monte|title=The Dark Light|work = Los Angeles Times|date=2002-08-13|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-aug-13-me-light13-story.html|access-date=2006-12-14|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
===Bison Sportslights, Inc.=== Bison Sportslights, Inc. were found liable for willful and malicious misappropriation of trade secrets, malicious breach of confidence, malicious false advertising, and malicious unfair competition. Bison had a permanent injunction entered against it and Mag Instrument, Inc. was awarded $1.2 million for damages and attorney's fees.<ref name="BisonSuit">{{Cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-05-2002/0001777558&EDATE=|title=Mag Instrument Wins Injunction in Trade Secret Suit Against Bison Sportlights; Company to Seek Further Damage|website=PR Newswire|date=2002-08-05|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929142352/http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=%2Fwww%2Fstory%2F08-05-2002%2F0001777558&EDATE=|archivedate=2007-09-29|accessdate=2006-12-14|df=mdy-all|url-status=live}}</ref>
Bison Sportslights, Inc. is no longer in business.
==References== <references/>
==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20040211020937/http://www.maglite.com/index_flash.asp Mag Instrument, Inc. - Manufacturer of the Maglite Flashlight] *[http://www.successhalloffame.com/news_info.php?news_id=43 Success Hall of Fame-Anthony Maglica]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Maglica, Anthony}} Category:1930 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriates in Yugoslavia Category:American businesspeople in manufacturing Category:Date of birth missing (living people) Category:Businesspeople from New York (state) Category:People from Ontario, California