April 22, 2019 — Capt. Joe Sanfilippo fished out of Gloucester for more than 20 years alongside siblings and family members. For much of that time, a seed was germinating.

Sanfilippo, 46, is the youngest of five boys and his training came from tough-love, working tutorials aboard the family’s three 80-foot fishing vessels, particularly from his brother Dominic aboard the F/V Captain Gus.

“He taught me pretty much everything I know and gave me a passion and work ethic for being a commercial fisherman right from the start,” Sanfilippo said. “I realized quickly that fishing is a way of life. It’s not about the money. It’s about the heritage.”

Which brings us to the germinating seed. Sanfilippo, as the industry evolved, often thought there might be a better way to give aspiring commercial fishermen a head start entering the profession.

Read the full story from the Associated Press at the New Bedford Standard-Times