Dimitrios "Jim" Tsunis

Jim Tsunis, Sr., 94, Legendary Entrepreneur and Businessman

Dimitrios “Jim” Tsunis, Sr., a man known for his charitable endeavors and Long Island business ventures, died at his home in St. James Saturday. He was 94.

Tsunis was born in Brooklyn to parents who emigrated from Platanos, Greece.  He is predeceased by his wife Emily Tsunis. Together, they raised five children in Belle Terre and had a home in Palm Beach, Fla. He had a celebrated life that included meeting many TV personalities and sports greats. He was said to have “known them all”.

As a kid, Tsunis was an avid ball player and spent one summer as a bat boy for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Despite being a big Yankee fan, he found it amazing to be getting dressed in the same locker room as Branca, Hodges and Reese.   A few years later, during a tryout with the Giants, on consecutive pitches, took Carl Hubbell deep down the left field line for home runs.  As a teenager, he caddied at Engineers Country Club becoming a regular for boxing greats Sugar Ray Robinson and Joe Louis.  Tsunis left high school early to enlist in the Marine Corp. spending time at Paris Island, Camp Pendleton, Pearl Harbor, China and Guam, all after World War II. In China, he famously recalls being “stunned” to have been fortunate enough to eat dinner with a four star General.  After being honorably discharged and returning home to Brooklyn, Tsunis ran the Rotisserie Restaurant in Great Neck with his brother Charlie, thus starting his long “career” in the restaurant business.  After selling the “Rotisserie”, he enrolled in night school and received his high school diploma a few months later.   He then briefly worked as an assistant at the Eagle Pencil company.  Thereafter, through a chance meeting with a family friend, Tsunis was fortunate to meet the president of National Dairy, who promptly hired him as a salesman for $106.00/week.  He remained in the dairy business for several years (Sheffield Farms, Crestwood Dairy in 1951 as Sales Manager, and Kings Dairy up until 1954). In 1955, with money borrowed from his Uncle Louie, he purchased Presske’s Dairy in Lake Grove. During one reverse commute from his Mom’s Brooklyn home, Tsunis stopped to help a motorist with a flat tire on Jericho Turnpike, in Centereach. That gentleman was R. Ford Hughes, Chairman of the Suffolk County Republican Party and gave Tsunis his initial connection to the world of Long Island politics.  In the 1960’s, he started in the real estate development business and banking business. In March of 1961, Tsunis was appointed to the Board of Directors of Tinker National Bank by then President Cecil Hall. Tsunis was simultaneously a member the Centereach Chamber of Commerce, Centereach-Lake Grove Lions Club, the Association of Developmentally Disabled Children, the Port Jefferson ELK’s Club, the Adelphi College Fund Raising Committee and Vice President of the Harbor Hills Country Club.  Tsunis’ real estate developing career began in the early 1960’s while partnering with close friend and Yankee hall of fame pitcher Whitey Ford on several projects continuing through the 1970’s. The Ford Professional Building built in 1964 was a local landmark for decades in Port Jefferson Station.  Tsunis was also appointed by Governor Rockefeller  to the Board of Directors of the Brookhaven Industrial  Development Corporation.

Starting in 1969, Tsunis along with Whitey Ford and Edward Long began a legacy of philanthropic endeavors through a fund raiser golf tournament known as “The Pinter Tournament of Stars”. Their efforts ultimately became the Long Island Charities Foundation.  Jim was instrumental in raising funds for a wide variety of charitable organizations throughout Long Island for the next fifty years. The annual golf outing was attended by some of the then biggest names in sports and entertainment, including his close friend Whitey Ford, Mickey Mantle, Joe DiMaggio, Joe Nameth, Joe Louis, Yogi Berra, Clarke Gilles, Thurman Munson, Phil Rizzuto, Gerry Cooney, Telly Savalas, Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, Jackie Gleason, Frankie Avalon, and many, many others. The golf tournament continues to be  known as The Long Island Charity Classic.

Tsunis was also instrumental in launching what is now Dowling College, first as the Suffolk County extension of Adelphi University, and later as an independent college named for developer Bob Dowling.

“We were kidding,” Tsunis says. “We told one of his lieutenants we’d name the place after him for a couple million and he said OK. Who knew?”

He founded and ran many businesses and organizations throughout his long career including Presske’s Dairy, The Dutch Inn, Nickels’ Restaurants, Eagle Building Maintenance, the Melville Chamber of Commerce, Dowling College Founder and Smithtown Conservative Party Chairman.

Jim was an avid golfer (still hitting them long and straight into his 90’s!) and was a member of several country clubs over the years including Port Jefferson, St. George, Wheatly Hills, The Presidential, and Indian Hills. He was also a lifelong Yankees fan, and sports enthusiast.

He is survived by his five loving children: Louis of Port Jefferson, George (Stefanie) of Winter Garden Florida, Demetrius (Jim, Jr.) (Theresa) of Belle Terre, Marsia (Leo) of St. James, and Alexia (Scott) of Port Jefferson.  Also survived by his adored grandchildren and great-grandchildren; LJ (Sonia)Tsunis, Arielle (William) Drepanis, Alexander Tsunis, Allie Zamek, James Tsunis, Paul Farrell, Amelia Zamek, John Tsunis, Sophia Tsunis, Sienna Tsunis, and Michael Drepanis.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Long Island Charities Foundation in Melville. Please call (631)777-6272.