He didn’t start talking until he was five. The family thought he was slow. But when he started talking, in both Italian and English, he spoke in full sentences, and they quickly realized how exceptionally smart he was.

Dad grew up in the North End of Boston. Except for a short time when the family tried to make a living in the textile mills of Lawrence, all the men were fishermen. All his siblings were pulled out of school to go to work when they were 14. But when it was Dad’s 14th birthday, his siblings begged their parents to let him stay in school, which they did on a one year at a time basis. His brother Peter even delayed his marriage so that Dad could stay in school another year. He graduated from Boston English, where he played football,  and Boston University. Dad fished with his father and brothers when not attending class. Mostly mackerel seining, April to November.

Ultimately, WWII determined the completion of his education.  He returned from his naval service to open Salvatore J. Favazza Insurance in Gloucester. His passion, however, was working for the fisheries and the city of Gloucester.

As a member of International Commission of Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, Dad had several occasions to travel the world on fisheries business, sometimes with Mom. Dad served as the first Executive Secretary of the Gloucester City Fisheries Commission, at that time considered a part time job that paid a small stipend. He encouraged the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives group to become political activists. He promoted under-utilized species, attended countless National Marine Fisheries hearings and worked with Congressmen Gerry Studds, Barney Frank & Senator Ted Kennedy on issues concerning the New England Fisheries. Dad was awarded the pen President Ford used to sign the Magnuson Conservation and Management Act, also known as the “200 Mile Limit”. At the presentation ceremony, he warned that the 200 Mile Limit was just a beginning. He cautioned that the American fishermen needed to take a lead in managing a sustainable fisheries for the generations to come. I often think the world would be a different place if he had lived. He donated the pen and plaque to the Cape Ann Historical Association.

Dad golfed, played bridge and watched football if B.U., Annapolis or Notre Dame were playing. He loved research. In addition to fisheries related research, he studied wines and history, specifically Italian, Gloucester and fisheries. He was a Director for Gloucester’s 350th Anniversary. The establishment of the Solomon Jacobs park at Harbor Loop was his project, from concept to implementation. When studying Gloucester history, he was impressed with the Sol Jacobs story and said there ought to be a commemoration of him in the city. Mom responded, “Well if you feel that way, Sam, do something about it!” I remember touring sites in the car with my Dad as he tried to decide where would be the best location. He chose Harbor Loop because he saw potential there for a small historical district.

Both he and my mother loved music; but Dad loved it loud. As a successful businessman, he was able to buy a new car every three years. He said that at 3 years, you start to have repair bills. I suspect his real motivation may have been the newer and more powerful car radios of the 1960s. He bought a car with front and rear speakers the moment they were available. In the days before boom boxes, we could hear Dad coming before he turned the corner onto our street.  

Read more about Dad’s life in his WWII Biography and in this Slice of Life Recollection of his service to the Gloucester Fisheries.