Good morning Joey
I was looking at some old pictures and came across this post card of Fisherman’s Wharf
In the summers of my 7th grade till senior in high school I spent summers fishing on my dads boat the Debbie Rose
With Family
My uncle John Randazza Captain (AKA Johnny Boy )
My Father Sal Randazza Jr (Engineer)
My Grand father Cook (AKA Tootise)
My Cousin Anthony Randazza
We were quite the crew
Young and Old
I can remember waking up at 1:30 Am every day except Fridays(New York Fish Market Closed On Weekends)
My Father and I would listen to the NOAA Forecast and he would tell me if I could go with him Weather permitting
Just between you and me my father always said yes hoping I would get sick and not want to go anymore
I spent many of days over the rail sick as a dog
He could see back then that there was no life in fishing in the future
Then we were off to Dunkin Donuts and there was the rest of Fisherman’s Wharf Boat Crews waiting there till someone made a move
It was usually the crew of the Debbie Rose or Tom Testaverde on the Sea Fox That made the move
My grandfather would already be on the boat waiting for us
So off we go in a line to Ipswich Bay to fish
I would see some of the best sunrises that time in my life
We would steam for close to 2-3 Hrs
That’s when the net went over and was towed for 2 hrs
The net was then hauled back and the sorting and cleaning and packing of fish began
We would make 3 tows and head in to make trucks in afternoon that headed to New York fish market
My father always had a 5 gallon bucket of fresh fish to bring home for dinner and to give some to friends and family
These are the days I will never forget
I currently have a boat and fish with my wife rod and reel for ground fish in the same spots I fished with my dad
The good old days
Sal Randazza III


I had just moved from Marblehead to East Gloucester in 1973 and I remember the sound of the day boats leaving each morning at 4:00 am grinding around the breakwater and heading out, and especially their return at 4:30 PM loaded down to the gunnels with herring, seagulls circling, heading for Lipmans to process. That night, if the wind was blowing out of the west, a call was made to Lipmans to “turn on the scrubbers” to diminish the suffocating stench of dehydrating fish. Hard to believe that life is gone forever. I’m not sure it’s a better world! Keep those memories coming.
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