Nick was born in Hvar, Croatia, in 1914, and his family moved to Oregon when he was young. He started salmon fishing at a young age in Astoria, and then went with his brothers to fish in Alaska when he was a bit older, and that is where he first became a cook for a fishing crew. He moved to San Pedro, California, at the invitation of a friend and became the cook for many years on a tuna boats owned and operated by Captain Frank Gargas, Sr.

Bill Biggs (1926-2001), John Dubois (1912-2001), Charlie Elmer (1912-2006), Arthur Hinson (1917-2012), Jack King (1928-2001), Joe Lore (1910-2000), and Mort Hughes (1920-2012) are retired oystermen whose recollections spanned from post World War I (1918) through the 1990s.  These men represent the fading legacy of traditional oystermen who navigated the waters during the era of sail-powered dredging. Their lives on the water are characterized by the intimate knowledge of oystering, a craft honed through seasons of planting and harvesting the bivalves.

Oral history interview with Patricia Leckner. 

Oral history interview with Pearson Jackson.  

Oral history interview with Rawlin Nelson.

Ray Falk was interviewed for the Port of Los Angeles Centennial Oral History Project. He was born on September 23, 1922, on Terminal Island (formerly East San Pedro). Falk's grandfather, a German-born Swede, was an entrepreneurial ship captain who first arrived in San Pedro in 1877. He established a business in the area, including the Pepper Tree Saloon, and invested in property and ships, significantly contributing to the port's early maritime activities. Ray Falk recounts his early life on Terminal Island, where his father operated a fishing boat with a Japanese crew.

Reidar Bendiksen is a Norwegian fisherman who has been in the fishing industry since 1963. After 25 years of fishing, he transitioned into the fishing gear business, where he continues to work up to the present. James M. Dwyer Jr., also known as Jim Dwyer, has been involved in the fishing industry for the last forty-seven years. For the past twenty-two years, he has served as the Secretary, Treasurer, and Business Agent for the Local 1749, ILA, also known as the Lumpers Union.

Richard was born in San Pedro in 1946; a third generation Japanese-American (sansei). In this interview, he recounts how his family came to be living in San Pedro from Japan, and the challenges they faced because of "yellow exclusion laws" and other discriminatory practices that prevented his grandparents from becoming U.S. citizens. His grandfather settled initially in a Japanese fishing community near Santa Monica, California where he ran a fish market. However, he was not legally allowed to hold a business license until 1954 when he was allowed to become a U.S. citizen.

Robert A. Curry was born in 1931 in Toledo, Ohio. In 1939, his father moved to San Francisco, California, and the family relocated to Los Angeles in 1940. Bob grew up in the transportation and trucking industry. The family’s transition to the West Coast marked the beginning of their involvement in the trucking business. Bob’s father founded California Cartage Company during the war years, around 1943-1944, focusing on transporting aircraft parts between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Oral history interview with Rod Reddick.