Basil Scaglione

born on November 28, 1924 in Ybor City. He was the 7th of 12 children born to Nunzio and Laura

Scaglione from Sicily, Italy. Laura passed away in 1937 when Basil was just 12 years old. This left the

youngest sister, Lily, just 18 months old, to be raised by the older children. Nunzio Scaglione was a native of Brolo, Sicily, a fishing village and Laura Noto was born in Alessandria de la Rocca. In order to seek a better life, they migrated to the USA in the 1890’s. Nunzio started his first restaurant on 22nd Street and 10th Ave in 1922. In 1929, he built and began the Americus Restaurant on the corners of 9th Ave and 22nd St. The restaurant was later on known to all as Tony’s Restaurant, operating by his brother Tony, until is passing then under his nephew, Larry Scaglione until its closing recently. Basil learned the restaurant business at an early age from his father. In 1946, Basil fell in love and married Janie Collura of Dade City, Florida and they have two children,Ron and Laureen. In 1951, Basil ventured on his owned and opened the Dream Restaurant on Jackson Street in downtown Tampa. The cost of this restaurant was $11,000. Basil thought he would never get out of that tremendous debt at that time. In 1958, Basil and Janie, along with his brothers Nick and Al commenced construction and there began the legacy of Scaglione’s University Restaurant serving the Tampa Bay Area. Fowler in those days was an undeveloped dirt road. In January 1960, the brothers opened the University Restaurant. USF opened in September 1960. In the late 1960’s, Al left the University Restaurant and permanently moved to Lakeland and started the Italian Castle Restaurant. Basil bought Nick out and Peter joined Basil in 1961. The family served the Tampa Bay Area through dedication and hard work for 34 years before closing the restaurant in 1993. Basil’s love of the restaurant business continued working two days a week helping out at Tony’s Restaurant in Ybor until the age of 97. One of Basil’s favorite past times we having coffee with his friends at West Tampa Café, the Tropicana and Gio’s on MacDill Avenue in South Tampa.

Basil is survived by his son, Ron, wife Yvonne, his daughter, Laureen, husband Chris, his son, Patrick

and leaves behind two amazing grandchildren, Jason and Megan and his sister, Lily.

Friends and family are invited to attend a time of visitation Thursday Evening May 9, 2024 from 6:00PM to 8:00 PM in the Palma Ceia Hall at Blount & Curry Life Event Center 605 S. MacDill Ave. Tampa, Florida. A funeral service will be held on Friday May 10, 2024 at 11:00AM at Blount & Curry Life Event Center with entombment following at Hillsboro Memorial Gardens 2323 W. Brandon Blvd. Brandon, Florida. On-line condolences can be given to the family at www.blountcurrymacdill.com.