#!/usr/bin/perl
use strict;

my $i;
my $data;
open(DATA," basicdez.dat") || die "Cannot open datfile: $!\n";

# this entire loop is pointless.  its almost never a good 
# idea to read an entire file into a single string, unless 
# you are going to be spitting it right back out.

while(<DATA>){
   chomp;
   unless ($_=~ /"EOS"/){
      $data .= "$_";
   } elsif ($i ne 1) {
      $data .="\n";
   }
   if ($_=~ /"EOS"/){
      $i=1;
   }
}
close(DATA);

my @data=split(/\n/, $data);

# i find it odd that although you name every element of your
# list, you don't name the loop variable.  Either do one, or
# both.  Be consistant!
for(@data){
   my($first_name,$last_name,$address,$city,$state,$phone)=split;

   print "$first_name,$last_name\n";
   print "$address\n";
   print "$city, $state\n";
   print "$phone \n";
}
# not needed
exit;