Special Agent Thomas Paul Marzilli was born January 22, 1956, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He was a standout baseball player in both high school and college, and played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League, the premier amateur adult baseball league. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Eckerd College and a master’s in Criminal Justice from East Carolina University. After college, Tom spent four years with the Bureau of Special Investigations in the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office.

In 1987, Tom joined the Naval Security and Investigative Command as a Special Agent assigned to the Boston Resident Agency. During the Gulf War, Tom was the Special Agent Afloat aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and served in Operations DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. During the Albania-Kosovo conflict, he supervised a five-person detachment within the war zone. Later, he served as the supervisor of Specialized Operations in London and Western Europe. In addition to being named Special Agent of the Year and receiving the Superior Civilian Service award, Tom was one of the senior agents selected to establish the precursor to NCIS’s counterterrorism division.

On July 19, 2004, Tom suffered a massive heart attack during a run on the Washington Navy Yard. At the time, he was the Deputy Chief of the Multiple Threat Alert Center.

Tom is remembered as humble, easygoing, and a dedicated family man. He loved baseball and coached several youth and minor league teams. Tom was a highly determined and extraordinarily capable Special Agent who will long be remembered for many significant contributions to NCIS.

Special Agent Marzilli’s name is engraved on panel 11-W, line 25 at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Fallen Tribute Pages: Schanz  -  Kocina  -  Kramer  -  McKee  -  Emanuele  -  Marzilli