This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Price • Tony Basso started his first business — and got the nickname "Madman" — as a high school student.
Before turning 20, he had a limousine service, went from washing cars in an automobile dealership to owning a small used-car lot, and had bought a commercial building in downtown Price with a bar on the street level.
"I had to send my mom in to collect the rent because I wasn't old enough," Basso said laughing while walking recently along this mining and railroad town's Main Street, exchanging greetings with virtually every passerby, including a city cop.
Everybody seems to know him — and with good reason. Now, at the tender age of 41, the energetic Basso has become a major figure in the business and social fabric of Carbon and Emery counties.
He owns 16 businesses. Automobile dealerships. Restaurants. RV and ATV dealerships. Two radio stations. A towing business. A body and paint shop. A rental car company. A finance company. Storage units. About 135 residential properties. A property management company that takes care of all of these properties. Vacant lots.
More than 160 people directly get paychecks from him. No one was laid off during the economic downturn.
"I don't want you to feel I'm bragging, but we're proud of what we've done in this town," said Basso, son of a railroad man turned school custodian. "My 401(k) is on Main Street not Wall Street. Everything I have is invested in southeast Utah."
Much to the gratification of Price City officials such as planner Nick Tatton, Basso's classmate at Carbon High School, class of 1987.
"We're lucky to have such a dedicated local person who owns so much property and who is interested in renovating old properties, keeping things up, creating a lot of employment in our community," Tatton said. "There's not many people around here who don't know him or think of him as a friend."
Besides his business acumen, Basso's popularity stems in part from his generosity. He donates money, cars and property to numerous local causes, from youth sports teams and Girl Scout drives to Kiwanis Club fundraisers and programs that provide home care for the elderly.
In need of offices, Community Nursing Services Home Health and Hospice bought a building in Price from Basso. Because "Tony put a lot of the money in so we didn't have to have a high mortgage payment," Hospice area manager Linda Beal said, "it cut our costs and makes the charity care easier to give. And there's more and more charity care in the community every year."
Basso estimates he has donated more than $2 million over the past 20 years, "trying to spread it out the best we can."
The contributions have made Price a better place to live, said Tatton.
"When the Brownies and the Rotary and the arts councils are healthy, the community is healthy. Tony knows that," said Tatton. "He understands the value of building a community, and that has come back to him in support for his businesses. There's hardly anybody around here who hasn't bought a car from him and felt good about doing it."
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The man behind the name • His first business was selling briefcases out of a catalog to members of the Carbon High School debate team.
Jim Thompson was debate coach then (he still teaches English). He vividly recalls how Basso showed up at school one day with briefcases and a sales pitch, which went over like gangbusters. "So I said to him, 'Who are you? Madman Basso?' "
A couple of years later, when Basso filled out a business license application to start a used-car lot, he saw that a company name was needed and wrote down "Madman Basso." Before long, vehicles all over Carbon and Emery counties were sporting Madman Basso license plate holders.
"It's amazing how many you see," said Thompson. "Ever since he opened his first car lot, my wife and I have purchased our cars from him. And he's always given us a good deal. He is one go-getting machine."
Although Basso said he has made plenty of mistakes, learning something from every one, his track record of successful ventures has been impressive. He branched out from used cars to recreational and all-terrain vehicles, then acquired a General Motors dealership (at GM's insistence, it doesn't use the Madman moniker). Because all types of vehicles need service, he expanded into towing, painting and body work.
An Italian, he likes to eat. So he bought Farlaino's restaurant on Main Street, then turned what was JB's into a new eatery called Ty's Table. Bought an Arby's, too. Much of his interest lately has focused on Anthony J's, the old Matador restaurant, which offers fine dining, as well as karaoke and Wii.
"Salt Lakers used to come down to the Matador to eat great steaks. I'm trying to get that back," he said, noting that he uses the radio stations to promote his businesses. "The more we can keep local, the more we all benefit. Build from within. That's how you build community."
Basso purchased the Matador and several other properties from Holladay residents Nyal and Elgia Stamoulis. Almost instantly, their business ties blossomed into friendship.
"He's our son. That's how I introduce him to people," said Elgia, 67. "We never had children, and he's more than a friend to us. He's personality plus. I beam every time he does something. I'm as proud as a peacock of him."
Added Nyal: "He amazes me sometimes. He never quits going. He knows everybody's name, their kids' names, where they live.
"He's one in a million, maybe 10 million. He's a Larry Miller type of guy," Nyal said, referring to the businessman and former owner of the Utah Jazz.
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A sense for what works • Basso's formal higher education is limited to two years at Price's College of Eastern Utah. He's taught almost as many classes there as he took. But his sense for what works is clear. Managers of each of his operations get bonuses for jobs well done. Many employees can rent his housing properties at affordable levels.
He likes to hire older people because of their work ethic, guys such as Don Booker in the RV service department. "At 64 years old, I wasn't too interested in mining again," Booker said. "I'm glad to do this. I feel I can add to the business."
Basso modestly characterizes his business strategy as one of fitting puzzle pieces together, building relationships more than bottom lines, running businesses to make money but not to support a lavish lifestyle for the owner.
"If I don't do it, who will? I want to see everybody do good," said Basso. "Life's kind of like a roulette wheel, and I keep all of my chips out on the table. If you have enough chips out, one will hit."
That overall approach impresses Price City's Tatton.
"Tony is committed to keeping Price viable. It has nothing to do with selling cars or steaks at Anthony J's. He just wants to keep it good for all of us so our kids have a great place to grow up, and to make Price an attractive place to stay," he said. "It almost brings a tear to your eye."
Meet Tony Basso
Age 41, he grew up in Price, graduating from Carbon High School in 1987
Started his first business at age 16, bought his first house a year later
Opened a used-car business in 1989 as "Madman Basso."
Jogs three miles three times a week
Although divorced, his ex-wife still works for him. The couple has a 13-year-old daughter