Working Waterfront Festival

Interviewee Sort descending Collection Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Bill Adler Fishtales

Bill Adler, the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association, began lobstering in 1963 and has remained involved in the industry since. He started by gathering sea moss off the coast of Marshfield and transitioned to lobstering. Adler holds a master's degree in English and taught school while continuing to lobster. He has been involved in the politics of the lobstering industry and holds positions in various commissions and organizations, including the Lobster Institute.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Bill Gell Fishtales

Bill Gell was a pilot who flew a spotter plane for swordfishermen in the 1970's and 1980's. He shares the story of a practical joke he played on Rodney Avila as well as life as a pilot.

 

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Bob and Helene Quinn The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Bob Quinn and Helene Quinn and their ancestors have lived and worked on Eagle Island in Penobscot Bay Maine for generations. Bob got his start working on a pumper in the sardine industry and eventually began lobstering. Bob is now passing the torch to his grandson, Sam, who is eagerly embracing a life at sea. Helene Quinn is Bob's wife. She hails from Rockland, Maine, and has deep roots on Eagle Island. Samuel Quinn Russo, aged 12 during the interview, is Bob and Helene's grandson. He represents the younger generation that is actively embracing the family's fishing traditions. 

Madeleine Hall-Arber New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Bob Mitchell The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Bob Mitchell has deep connections to the fishing industry. He was born and raised in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, and comes from a family of Fairhaven natives. After completing his service in the Navy, his father, who was also a fisherman, started a business called R.A. Mitchell Company in 1954, specializing in marine engines and engine repairs for the fishing industry. Bob Mitchell joined the family business in 1961 after completing high school. He further pursued his education in England, attending the Lister Engine Factory School for a year and a half.

Millie Rahn New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Bradford Hathaway Fishtales

Bradford Hathaway was a reporter for the New Bedford, MA Standard Times. He covered the waterfront for a number years. He recounts a few stories from his career including the loss of two fishing vessels and a visit on a Russian fishing vessel.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Brian Lee Fishtales

Brian Lee began his fishing career on a long liner. He tells the story of how he survived a serious injury on deck. He now is a commercial rod and reel fisherman out of Fairhaven, Massachusetts.

 

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Northeast Fisheries Science Center - NOAA, Working Waterfront Festival
Carlos Rafael The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Carlos Rafael was born on the island of Corvo in the Azores and immigrated to New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1968. He is a prominent fishermen and the other of one of the largest fishing fleets on the East Coast of the United States and of Carlos Seafood, Inc. He is known for his dominance in the New England fishing industry and his role in shaping fisheries management policies.

Millie Rahn New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Carol and Pamela Brown The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Carol Brown, a 70-year-old Irish woman, is a fisherman's wife from Gloucester. She is the daughter-in-law of Frank Brown Sr., a Portuguese fisherman who immigrated to the United States from Pico Island in the Azores. Carol married into a fishing family, and her husband, also of Portuguese descent, followed in his father's footsteps. She is known for her insights into the fishing industry and her connection to the legacy of Frank Brown Sr.

Janice Gadaire Fleuriel New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Chad Cunningham The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

When Chad first saw the fishing boats of New Bedford, he knew he wanted to be on them. As luck would have it, he had an in and has been fishing ever since. Chad muses on regulations, his family, and his love for fishing.

Madeleine Hall-Arber New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival
Charlie Mitchell The Working Waterfront Festival Community Documentation Project

Charlie Mitchell, born on March 5, 1945, in Boston, Massachusetts, is a prominent figure in the maritime industry. With a childhood spent near the water in Fairhaven, he developed a deep affinity for maritime activities. After attending college and beginning law school, his plans were interrupted by the draft during the Vietnam War. He chose to join the Navy through the ROTC program and gained extensive sea experience aboard various ships, including destroyers.

Markham Starr New Bedford, MA Working Waterfront Festival