Dormancy (AKA: Retirement)

During the latter part of 1992, Richie read the writing on the wall and came to the conclusion that his business model was no longer working. The fish began to stink from the head down. Fishing (well actually catching) was deteriorating, half-day fishing was the new “in-thing”, the bluefish craze, which had been the bread and butter for the summer months for decades, now had lack of interest. Monstrous trawlers of foreign fishing fleets had raped and plundered our fishing grounds for years within 8 miles of our northeastern shores until legislation was passed to end the massacre in 1982 and extended the foreign invasion to 200 miles. The “Starstream II” had its anchor line severed in the 1970’s as a foreign trawler passed too closely and picked up Richie’s line with its trawling equipment.

Despite the legislative changes, the damage had already been done as mackerel cod, pollack, whiting, ling and many other species had virtually disappeared. The price structure for a full-day fishing could not support the increasing fuel, bait, and overhead costs. On many days, the number of fares that showed up to fish couldn’t sustain a break-even for the trip. Rather than change his business model and be another competitor in the cut-throat half-day trade, Richie realized it had been a great ride, but concluded that packing it in was the best decision. The three sons he had raised had already gone down different career paths and long moved on to raise their own families. Working seven days a week consistently for 40 years stretched it into 50 and certainly factored into his decision

By the end of 1992, a contract was signed to sell the Starstream business over to a joint venture between Mike Dannon (Capt Lou fleet), Anthony Gillespie, Johnny Mack and John Rossi. By the beginning of 1993, Richie was officially retired at the age of 58. The “Starstream II” retained its name with the new owners but was eventually sold in 1997 to the “Miss Bellmar” fleet in New Jersey. Today she now resides in Sarasota Florida as the “Flying Fish" mysteriously so, and maybe to be closer to her man in Cape Coral.

Richie and Louise are now snowbirds, spending the Summer/Fall months in Baldwin and the Winter/Spring months in Cape Coral, Florida. He has his own vessel, the 24-foot diesel the “Outta Line” in Florida. When not on his own vessel, he’s fishing with the charter/party boat captains he has befriended in Fort Myers Beach. While in New York, he fishes mostly with number three son Petie aboard the “Lora K” out of Oceanside. He frequents Montauk for fishing excursions with many of the friends he has made over the years and several of the former Starstream crewmates. He has also made fishing trips to Alaska, Panama, and the upper northeastern coastal states. A well deserved retirement!

Although they are no longer with us and have been fished up to the heavens, Richie expresses a lifelong debt of gratitude to Capt. Charlie Roesch, Capt. Tom Griffenberg, and Dotty and Harry Berkowitz for their guidance, support, and an enjoyable and successful livelihood.