Visiting Saturday, June 8, 2024 from 1-4 PM & 6-9 PM at Casey Funeral Home, 350 Slosson Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314

Burial in Croatia

Tomislav Basic of Dongan hills Colony, known as Tomi, was born on February 8,1939 in Pirovac, Croatia. He was a retired chef who immigrated to New York in 1976.

Losing his father, Ante, in WWII, Tomi grew up in the harsh environment of the aftermath of the war. He endured many hardships and challenges. From an early age, along with his older sisters, Milenka and Jelka, they had to fight for their survival and had to support their widowed sick mother.

At the age of seventeen, with little economic opportunity, and under political pressure, Tomi left his hometown and joined the Merchant Marine. During this tenure he attended culinary school, became a trained chef, and visited five continents.

In 1959, he married his teenage sweetheart, Anica Baric, who stayed with and cared for his mother, Rosa, while he worked as a Merchant Marine. In 1967, upon leaving the service, Tomi started a sanding business with his brother-in-law, Ivo Vukman. They excavated sand from the sea floor for building and construction.

Tomi and Anica worked hard to build their life and to raise their two children, Ines, and Ante.

Under the specter of communist oppression, Tomi was once again forced to leave his beloved hometown. With the sponsorship and support of his sister Jelka Valcic and her family, he emigrated to the United States in 1976.

Tomi worked two jobs, seven days a week in order to bring over his family to live in America in 1977. He continued his culinary career working as a chef in multiple New York City restaurants including Brioni’s, Rossini’s, and Il Cardinale.

Tomi was an “old school original”, who walked his own unique path in life. He was very compassionate and kind to all, and sensitive to injustice. Tomi was intense and had a quick temper, which was balanced with his witty humor, generous heart, and endless capacity to entertain.

After retiring, Tomi and Anica had the best of both worlds. They would spend spring and summers in sunny Croatia, socializing with their many friends and extended families and then return home for the rest of the year to be with their immediate family and friends.

Tomi was a proud patriarch who loved his family and took special joy in seeing his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Tomi is survived by his wife Anica (Vila), sister Jelka Valcic, daughter and son-in-law Ines and Peter Vucetic, son and daughter-in-law Ante and Maria Basic, grandsons Ivan and Tomi Vucetic and their families, granddaughters Anna and Victoria Basic, and his nephews and niece Emil Vukman, Davor Valcic and Gordana Vukman-Pacheco.