Long Island Trekkie spends $500,000 to remodel his basement into Enterprise bridge

LONG ISLAND, N.Y., July 11 (UPI) -- A Star Trek fan in Long Island is garnering attention from around the globe after spending $500,000 to turn the basement of his family's home into a replica of the Enterprise bridge.

Anthony Sforza has been collecting Star Trek memorabilia since the 1980s and in 2010 decided to consolidate the items and build a replica of the NX-01, the earliest Enterprise ship in the Star Trek universe, which appeared in the latest series, Star Trek: Enterprise.

Sforza's personal bridge is especially unique because the 48-year-old father of two took painstaking steps to ensure his replica was as close as possible to the "real" thing, down to the finest detail.

"Fortunately I was able to purchase a piece of the original set which I pulled apart to find out the exact paint and materials that were used -- that's how I created the basement," Sforza explained to the New York Post.

Sforza says it took 1,500 hours over three years to complete his boyhood fantasy, devotion his sister notes is odd, but endearing.

"I don't remember him ever not being obsessed with it, even when he was a little boy," Sforza's sister Marion said

"I think he's a freak, but he loves it and he could be into worse things so if that's what makes him happy then that's great."

Sforza's wife Annette fully supports her husband's hobby calling the basement remodel "wonderful."

"I admire him so much for being able to put vision into something like this and for it to look so incredible -- it's wonderful and I'm so proud of him."