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What terrible news. First thoughts are for the kids, and for their mother who will also need strength beyond imagination now.Forgive if this gets too long- I knew Tommy very well and considered him simply one of my best friends.After introducing him to the New York Audio Rave (he used those Rave Demo CDs constantly to evaluate his gear) and to Audio Circle, we became fast friends.He had the worst allergies!! When he would visit we would always have Benadryl on hand as he would be sneezing and wheezing but would stay and listen and chat for hours anyway. Also, the Bombay gin helped.Went on many a double date with him - many a Rave - many a time at his place listening to the latest gear - many a trip to my brother's store to hook his amps up to Dave's reference system - trips with him to client's houses - so many great times. He was dear not only to me but to my wife and brother as well.I was fortunate to hear and live with many of his prototype amps and can remember the exact place, northbound on Rt 287, when I turned to him and said "You know, you should take all of the power supply guts from a stereo amp and put it all into a monoblock" and his eyes lit up and the mono amps were born. There is tiny chance that I attached the feet or wire harness on the DAC amp you own - It was fun to hang with him in his basement and help screw stuff together and listen to the plans for the next upgrade! He was always cooking up many things at once in that brain. We were currently discussing applications for live music PA amps...so much lost on so many levels.Tommy is a drummer too and always made a point to come see our band play, even coming up on stage to play my drums to help us sound-check once. He loved that!We clicked on so many levels and had such a deep bond that I was free to have very serious and frank words with him regarding our opposite views on the virus and appropriate actions to take. It caused some rift in our friendship but we agreed to not discuss such matters anymore, just a few short months ago. I doubt I could have done or said more short of tackling him, but I will forever feel that I failed to take sufficient action to protect a dear friend.Great kids, I wish them the best. Oldest is a naturally gifted musician - guitar, drums and voice. A competitive table hockey player who didn't like to lose, and didn't! Middle daughters is a very talented artist. The youngest was always so sweet and shy but that was years ago when she was still young...Tommy family man story: As mentioned, he had bad pet allergies, but the kids wanted dogs. Did he get them a dog, no, he got three!! You always got to see the latest guitar videos and artwork his kids made. and he was always telling me the names they gave to his reference tracks.Goodbye friend.-Mike
Are you "an" ER physician or "the" ER physician who was providing care for Tommy up until his passing? If "an" ER physician, please stop as your comments are in arrogance and completely disrespectful to Tommy and his family.My family and I were in close communication with Tommy (and his family), trying to help him for the last few weeks of his life and I happen to know more details that I will keep to myself out of respect for them. None of us (me included) were there in the hospital and know all the details of what happened. Tommy lived in a state that doesn't allow in some of the very effective treatments in creating recovery for what he was battling. If you all want to do something, donate to the GoFundMe to help his kids. He blessed my life and I happily donated what I could to provide them some help in their most trying time. God bless Tommy and his family.
Tommy was a great guy. I spent many days at his house listening to his products and loving every minute. I last saw him Black Friday when we went to his favorite BBQ place. We talked about what he had in the pipeline and I was impressed. I will miss him tremendously. He always had time to talk equipment and he really loved to talk music and about his children. I own one of his amps and like the other person stated it will not be leaving my system.
I've spent several hours over the past year and half on the phone with Tommy. Damn near every week. I always told him he was like the big brother I never met, since he graduated high school in 1987 and I did in 1992. I own 4 of his Megaschino Mono amps (2 were his review amps in enjoythemusic) and 1 of his DAC DAC 2 HSV. And I just bought one of his DAC DAC TL tonight off US Audio Mart. Before his passing I was selling 2 of the amps to finish my home theater (which I got his blessing) and eventually purchasing 2 of his Megaschino Monos SW limited edition amps once he got them into production, because he said they would work better in a electrically challanged inviroment. Meaning not pop circuit breakers like normal amps, because of the new power supply. Which now I'm obviously never selling. Tommy was truly a one of a kind and was always exited about coming up with better products for his customers.
I love Tommy’s products and have a pair of Maraschino mono blocks, and a DAC DAC TL. It was very hard to put up his mono blocks for sale (about a month ago) since I liked them so much, but as we know sometimes we have to let go and sell our favorites things. I was in shock that they haven’t sold since they are so good. After this horrific news, I didn’t know what to do? Do I pull them off the market? This sounds weird but I felt guilty putting them up for sale in the first place. Which is weird since we buy and sell all the time in this hobby, but Tommy was so passionate about his products that they are a reflection of him. A couple days of reflection, leaded me to think the best thing I can do for my family and his, is to sell them and make another sizable donation to his kids. While his amps were his passion. Man he always talked about his kids. He would share stories about his son playing instruments and so on. I know they must be suffering right now and I’m sure they could the money. Whoever gets them will get a piece of music history as Tommy designed amazing products. I’ll keep my dac dac. Does this sound like a good way to respect Tommy? Appreciate any feedback cause I’m struggling on what to do.
Just reading this. I'm shocked!I live in Belgium and have his Marashino mono blocks from the very beginning before release. Also a DAC DAC 2 and was looking forward to his yet to be released DPA (digital preamp).I hope this is not the end for the brand and his know how.
Wow, what terrible news and a great loss to his family, friends and supporters. One of the very few extremely gifted , talented and honest people in all of audio. It was only in the last month that I received my 2 5 Cherry amps after a number of conversations with Tommy, which I enjoyed immensely. Strangely, one of the channels in one of amps shorted and started to send out a smoke signal. So, I turned it off and sent it back to Tommy. It arrived there on December 15. I waited to hear back of course, it was the Christmas season and so I assumed he was super busy, but I thought a bit unusual that I didn't hear anything back by today ( the 28th) and for some reason I thought to check in here on the circle only to learn of Tommy's passing. He was far to young and far too good to leave this earth so soon.
