Sebastian Parisi
Strengthening Community Resilience in America’s Oldest Seaport
In partnership with the Northeast Fisheries Science Center, these oral history recordings capture the invaluable life experiences of long-lived members of Gloucester's working waterfront, one of the oldest fishing communities in the United States.
Molly Graham
Sebastian Parisi was born in 1940 in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Both sides of Parisi's family emigrated from Italy, and many of his ancestors and relatives worked in the fishing industry. He graduated from Gloucester High School, worked as a mechanic for cars and diesel boats. Parisi served as an aircraft mechanic in the Air Force from 1960 to 1964. Later, he earned a teacher's certificate and taught at vocational schools for over twenty years.
Scope and Content Note
Sebastian Parisi discusses his family history and connection to the fishing industry in Gloucester. He mentions that both sides of his family immigrated from Italy and settled in Boston before moving to Gloucester. He talks about his father's work as a commercial fisherman and his own experiences working on fishing boats, noting that he learned more about his family's fishing history as he got older. Sebastian also mentions his career as a mechanic and teacher in vocational schools. He highlights the decline of the fishing industry due to government restrictions and shares his thoughts on current issues, such as plastic bag bans and restrictions on lobster fishing. Parisi discusses the impact of the two-hundred-mile limit imposed in 1980, which led to many people leaving the fishing industry. He mentions the movie "The Perfect Storm" and recounts his personal connection to the crew members who were lost in that storm. Sebastian also talks about the limitations of early weather forecasting and the risks involved in fishing.
Parisi talks about being drafted into the Air Force in 1960 and serving for four years, choosing the Air Force because he didn't want to be involved in the Vietnam War. Parisi also mentions his work as a boat mechanic and the changes he has seen in the fishing industry, particularly the restrictions imposed by organizations like NOAA and the challenges faced by fishermen. He expresses his dissatisfaction with certain regulations, such as the requirement to call before fishing and the practice of throwing back caught fish that don't meet regulations, which he believes is wasteful. Parisi discusses the decline in the number of young people entering the fishing industry and the difficulties faced by fishermen in adapting to the changing regulations. He also mentions the tensions caused by restrictions on nets and lobster fishing practices.
Parisi goes on to mention that after retiring from teaching, he worked for a transit bus company for 12 years before going to Florida every year from January to June. He talks about living in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and mentions that he experienced storm damage from hurricanes in 2006.
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