1. Check mussels – any that are open should close when you tap on the shell.  If the mussel doesn’t close, discard it. Scrub mussels well under cold running water to remove sand and seaweed.  Using a large sharp knife, trim off the bear around edges of the shell.
2. Place cleaned mussels in a large bowl; cover with cold water and let soak for 1 to 2 hours.  Life mussels from water and place in a colander. Rinse under cold water to remove any sand that has come out of the mussels; let drain.
3. Make tomato-wine sauce:  In a 6 quart saucepan over moderately high heat, heat olive oil unti hot. Add celery onion(s) and basil; cook about 10 minutes, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are crisp-tender.
4. Add wine, lemon juice, pepper, tomatoes with their liquid and half of the parsley to the saucepan; break up the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon (I actually put the tomatoes in a blender and puree it, because I like my sauce with a smoother texture). Bring mixture to boiling over high heat; stirring occasionally.
5. Add mussels, all at once, to boiling tomato-wine sauce in saucepan; cover and cook over high heat about 6 minutes or until the shells of the mussels open.  Shake saucepan frequently so that the mussels cook uniformly. Discard any mussels that do not open.
6. With a slotted spoon, remove mussels from saucepan to a heated serving dish.  Season tomato-wine sauce with salt to taste, then spoon over mussels; sprinkle mussels with remaining chopped parsley.  Serve immediately.

          Makes 2 main dish servings or 4 appetizer servings.