Thomas Gionis was born in Long Island, New York during the baby boom. After graduating from Oceanside High School, he accepted a scholarship to play collegiate football. His athletic career was cut short by a knee injury, so Tom attended NYU, where he received a BFA degree in Film and Television production. Sponsored by the Long Island Tourism Commission, his senior film was a documentary entitled, “East of the Apple” a historical, panoramic travelogue of Long Island.