AN ITALIAN known as “Basti the Legend” who sold ice cream from his iconic 1960s Bedford van for 50 years in south Essex has sadly died.

Tony Di Somma came to England from Naples and settled in Basildon after meeting his wife, Ann, in Manchester.

After taking a job at Ford, he decided in his thirties he didn’t want to handle the machinery and instead bought an ice cream van - on a whim.

After that he served the community ice cream for 50 years, until his retirement two years ago, at the grand old age of 86.

Mr Di Somma, known as Basti the Legend, used the same ice cream van, a Bedford 1964, for all 50 years, mainly in the Lee Chapel area. He sadly died after a short illness last week, aged 88.

Granddaughter, Sophie Di Somma, 30, led the tributes: “Hundreds and hundreds of people knew who he was.

“In some cases, he served four generations of the same family ice cream.

“He wasn’t a Whippy man and always scooped the ice cream.

“I don’t know how his van lasted all 50 years!

“He put so much money towards it and was always tinkering with it or having people out to look out it.

“It just kept going.

“in fact the only reason he gave up two years ago was because the van finally wouldn’t start.”

The ice cream van has since been sold and restored, and is now used by The Vintage Ice Cream Company.

The side has “Basti the Legend” written on it in homage to Mr Di Somma.

Sophie said the family had been overwhelmed by the support and comments from members of the community since his death.

She said: “A kid had started a Facebook page dedicated to him a while ago and passed the administration on to me a couple of years ago.

“I put up a post about his death and it was shared 900 times and has been since been seen by 127,000.

“Tony was such a character.

“If you had put on a few pounds, he would tell you.

“He was so funny, but he didn’t know that he was.

“He always had a smile on his face and was so generous.

“He loved football and supported West Ham, although he had a soft spot for Manchester City as he met his wife in Manchester.

“He knew everyone and there was no-one he wouldn’t stop to say hello to in the street.

“He is really going to be missed by everyone. “He will leave a big ice cream van sized hole in so many people’s lives.”