Trotter was one of the first true celebrity chefs, with his eponymous restaurant opening in 1987. It was before the Food Network, before chefs were so well known that they had their own brands.
Thomas Verdillo, 77, Dies; Restaurateur Went from Red Sauce to Blue Ribbon
He put a refined twist on traditional Italian-American cooking at his South Brooklyn restaurant, Tommaso. He died of complications of Covid-19.
Thomas Verdillo was the owner, head chef, sommelier and chief tenor at his restaurant, Tommaso, in Brooklyn.Credit.via Verdillo family
By Glenn Rifkin
Jan. 11, 2021
This obituary is part of a series about people who have died in the coronavirus pandemic. Read about others
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Tommaso at first seemed like a classic red-sauce restaurant when it opened in 1971 in South Brooklyn. But it quickly became a critically admired dining spot frequented by foodies, neighborhood people, Manhattanites and mobsters alike.