You may know Tommy Guarino as the Boston guy on Tik Tok, performing comedy skits and talking all things Boston culture in the infamous accent. What started as a hobby during the pandemic has translated into a full-time career, as he managed to surpass 1 million followers this past September. I got the chance to sit down with him this week to discuss his newfound internet fame and how it came to be.
Tommy was born and raised in East Boston, Massachusetts, locally known as “Eastie.” Tommy comes from a long lineage of Italian-Americans (if you couldn’t tell by his last name) and was the first in his family to attend college. Being familiar with the blue-collar lifestyle from a young age helped to shape his work ethic and provided him the average middle-class upbringing . Most of his peers were raised by the same rules, which has contributed to the comradery of his friendships and pride in his community.
Hockey was his sport of choice growing up and throughout his time at East Boston High. Contrary to the character he portrays in skits, Tommy played goalie. It’s safe to say that’s where he learned the lingo you hear in the videos. I still don’t know what a grocery stick is. Maybe I’m just a pigeon.
Like many of us, Tommy downloaded Tik Tok in the spring of 2020 when the world was shut down. Nobody quite knew what it was back then. Just another…
