Saturday was the 10^th anniversary of Nicola Sallese’s disappearance from his Sheffield home on November 17, 2008.

The Sallese family don’t think they will find him alive but they still have hope that they will find him so they know where he is and can have a funeral.

“It’s a sad day for us but a good day to thank all those who have helped,” Nicola’s son Jason Sallese said.

“We always thought we’d find him and have a funeral and sit down with everyone to say thanks but we’ve never really had that opportunity so I think today is a good day to thank members of the public on behalf of my family.”

Jason Sallese described his dad as a family man with a great sense of humor.

“My brother and I had just started having kids so his grandchildren where everything to him. He spent as much time with them as possible, he loved hanging out with his family,” Jason said.

“He played bowls at the Sheffield Bowls Club and he put a lot of time into that. He loved the team aspect of playing bowls, but he was just a funny guy.”

Nicola was 69-years-old when he went missing.

Where could he be?

The search for Nicola Sallese is still classified as a statewide search as he had just been diagnosed with dementia and was due to take a trip South for his granddaughter’s first birthday.

The family suspects he may have run off the road with his car but ten years on, they are yet to find his Toyota Camry. 

Jason said he had just started to get muddled up with things like the days of the week.

“We had only just started taking steps to prepare for his life with dementia, his house was on the market,” Jason said.

He said the dementia could have had some effect on what had happened but it was hard for him to say that for certain.

Nicola’s other son Nick Sallese first realised something was wrong when he called Nicola multiple times on November 17 and he wasn’t answering.

“It was strange so he (Nick) went to the house and saw that the car was missing and dad wasn’t there and the dog was locked up,” Jason said.

“My brother pretty much knew straight away that something was up, it was very out of character for him not to be home.”

Jason lives at Seven Mile Beach near Hobart. He said it was his eldest daughter’s first birthday so Nicola was planning to come down with Nick’s family to celebrate.

“We are not 100 percent sure if he got his days mixed up and thought he needed to drive down to Hobart that day but we’re guessing a bit with that one, it’s a possibility.”

He said the last public confirmed sighting was a mechanic from Sheffield who passed him while driving earlier in the day.

Detective Sergeant from Devonport CIB Michelle Elmer said Sheffield man Nicola (Nick) Sallese had not been seen since 17th of November 2008.

“Mr Sallese is believed to have been travelling in his silver Toyota Camry sedan FH2973,” Sergeant Elmer said.

“This vehicle has accident damage to the vehicle’s left hand side and is displaying a small ‘nodding’ brown dog on the rear parcel shelf.”

“Whilst Mr Sallese was known to frequent the areas around Sheffield, and Devonport, possible sightings were reported all over Tasmania.

“It is also believed that Mr Sallese may have attempted to drive to Launceston or Hobart for personal reasons.”

The importance of remembering missing people

After 10 years, the family don’t think they will find him alive.

“It is important that we find him so we can have a funeral, we’ve been searching for ten years so it’s important that we know where he is,” Jason said.

“It’s not something i’d like to hand down to my kids. When I’m old and no longer here, then my kids sort of have to take it on.

“I am grateful for all the leads we get from the public, people who call the police and give whatever information they have. You just never know the next person who rings the police with information might help solve what happened.”

Could you help find Nicola Sallese?

Sergeant Elmer said Mr Sallese was born in 1939 and was described as approximately 150 centimeters tall, of stocky build, with closely cropped white hair.

“The top of his head is bald and he has a well maintained white moustache. Mr Sallese is of Italian descent and has an accent. Mr Sallese was most likely wearing a blue driving cap and a green jumper.”

She said his family continued to hope that he would one day be found so they could know what happened to their beloved father and grandfather.

“Can you help with information that would assist to locate Mr Sallese and/or his vehicle?,” Sergeant Elmer said.

“Families always deserve answers to what happened to their loved ones and police will not close a missing person case until the answers are found.”

Anyone with information in relation to a missing persons case, even if it’s a small piece of information they think may be insignificant, is urged to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.