Nancy Solomon

Interviewee Collection Sort ascending Description Interviewer Date of Interview Location of Interview Affiliation
Don Kearsley Long Island Traditions

Don Kearsley is a seasoned fisherman hailing from Linwood, New Jersey. Growing up near Scull's Bay, Don developed a love for fishing from an early age. He learned the art of fishing from Harry Toma, a professional fisherman and the father of a friend. Although there were no fishermen in Don's family, he was drawn to the fishing profession due to his proximity to the area and the influence of local fishermen, who were descendants of early settlers dating back to the 18th century.

Nancy Solomon Freeport, NY Long Island Traditions
Brad Keene Long Island Traditions

Brad Keene is a seasoned boatman with a deep-rooted connection to his family's maritime legacy. Born on April 5, 1988, Brad's passion for the sea was ignited at the age of twelve when he purchased his first boat, Garvey. Growing up in Freeport, he had the privilege of working alongside his father, who owned a dragger, on Woodcleft Canal. Brad's family history in the boating world can be traced back several generations.

Nancy Solomon Freeport, NY Long Island Traditions
Danny Koch Long Island Traditions

Danny Koch is a lifelong bayman who has been working the bay area for his entire life, just like his father, uncle, and grandfathers before him. Danny primarily focuses on catching killey, a type of bait, using traps that he sets in creeks where clam shells are found. Having learned the trade from his family, Danny's roots in the bay area go back to the early 1900s.

Nancy Solomon Baldwin Harbor, NY Long Island Traditions
Lenny and Danny Koch Long Island Traditions

Lenny and Danny Koch hail from a family deeply rooted in the fishing industry. Their relatives were fishermen, and their father transitioned to working for an oil company, running yachts along the coast. Growing up in Baldwin, New York, Lenny and Danny were surrounded by their grandparents and great-grandparents, who also had ties to the fishing tradition. Their grandfather operated charter and party boats, establishing a family legacy spanning over six decades. Lenny and Danny's maternal grandparents originated from Ukraine, although they did not have a background in net making.

Nancy Solomon Baldwin, NY Long Island Traditions
Tom Kuhner Long Island Traditions

Tom Kuhner is a fisherman from Long Island with a lifelong engagement in the local fishing industry. His early years were marked by a deep connection to the traditional practices of fishing and clamming, which he began as a child. Kuhner's initial foray into the industry started with a bait business, which eventually expanded into eeling and crabbing. Over the years, he transitioned to working on larger boats, facing the challenges of crew recruitment and adapting to the evolving landscape of the fishing industry.

Mary Lee Babylon, NY Long Island Traditions
Carmine Marinnacio Long Island Traditions

Carmine Marinaccio was born on May 7, 1987, in the Bronx. His parents hailed from Basilaca and Okadi, near Mount Vesuvius, and arrived in the Bronx when his father was 11 years old. Carmine's grandfather worked as a laborer, crafting furniture and harboring resentment toward tax collectors, which eventually led him to leave. Growing up near the water, Carmine developed a fondness for the beach and found ways to earn money, such as catching bait and reselling boats.

Nancy Solomon Freeport, NY Long Island Traditions
Lenny Nilson Long Island Traditions

Lenny Nilson, born in Bay Shore in 1947, is a seasoned fisherman who spent his formative years on West Island, West Fire Island, where his father ran a live shrimp and killie business. Lenny comes from a long line of fishermen, with his family having emigrated from Sweden in 1929, bringing with them centuries of commercial fishing heritage. At the age of 16, Lenny started working on the bay, assisting his father in the fishing endeavors. Lenny earned a degree in Marine Biology from Suffolk Community College after serving in Vietnam.

Steve Warrick Islip, NY Long Island Traditions
Lowell Ockers Long Island Traditions

Edward (Lowell) Ockers is a lifelong resident of West Sayville. Lowell was born and raised in the area and started working on the bay after returning from the Navy in 1957. He began his career by catching eels using traps purchased from his father, a bayman. In addition to his fishing endeavors, Lowell engaged in other activities to support himself. During the winter, he found work bulkheading, cutting ice, and digging clams to earn some grocery money. He also participated in scalloping, crabbing, and even sailing on the ice when the bay froze over.

Steve Warrick, Nancy Solomon , West Sayville, NY Long Island Traditions
John Remsen, Sr. Long Island Traditions

John Remsen, Sr. is a skilled boat builder who has dedicated his life to constructing garveys and other types of boats. During his lifetime, John has built approximately 100 garveys at an average rate of 5 per year. Throughout his career, John Remsen Sr. built boats for various individuals, including fishers such as Fred and Dott Verity, Elwood Verity, Jacki, the Millers, and clammers like Billy in Oceanside, among others.

Nancy Solomon Freeport, NY Long Island Traditions
Don Bevelander Long Island Traditions

Don Bevelander, a seasoned bayman from Long Island, has a long history of working in the Great South Bay. He began his career at a young age, around twelve, learning the trade of clamming alongside his father and brother. By the time he was fifteen, he had become a tonger, working long hours on the boat with his father. They would embark from Bay Shore early in the morning and often work until 8:00 PM, spending their entire week on the boat. Don would take on the role of the cook during these trips.

Steve Warrick Sayville, NY Long Island Traditions