Born in Meridian, Mississippi in 1920, John “Wesley” Compton, Sr., moved to the Gulf Coast as a young man. He began working with his father on the electrical systems of the popular Buena Vista Hotel. After serving in the US Navy, he assumed ownership of the electrical business. It was when “Big Bill Kennedy” took Wesley to the Chandeleur Islands on a fishing trip that he fell in love with the islands along the Gulf Coast. This inspired him to purchase the 32-foot Mary Jack an

Born in Biloxi, January 1919, to Vincent Rosetti (an immigrant of Hvar, Yugoslavia) and Josephine Frank Rosetti, Tony was the first generation of his family to be born in the US. His grandfather, Anthony Rosetti, came to Biloxi at the turn of the twentieth century, as many Yugoslavian immigrants did, in search of a better life for his family and became a captain and commercial fisherman. He would ultimately become a founding member of Biloxi’s Slavonian Lodge. Tony’s mother,

Born in Youngsville, Louisiana in 1913, Ramsey P. Girouard moved to Biloxi in 1926, following the death of his father. The young Ramsey would live with his brother, Francis, who worked in the seafood industry. Upon arrival, Ramsey Girouard served as deckhand and eventually served as boat captain for DeJean Packing Co., commanding the ANNA WILLIAMS and later the ALMA MAY. Recognizing his skill at net making and mending and boat repairs, the DeJean Co. chose Girouard to captain

Otis “Peanut” Broussard was born in 1909, in Youngsville, Louisiana and moved with his parents to Biloxi at a very early age. While still a young man, he started working in the seafood factory alongside his mother to help provide for the family. When old enough to captain a boat, Broussard would work for Sea Coast Packing Co. aboard the JOHN SEKUL and STEVE M. SEKUL. This career would carry him the better part of his life as he loved the open waters of the Gulf and only ever

Born in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi in 1926 to Paul Maurice and Victoria Cospelich Maurice, Leo Paul Maurice, Sr. found his heart in the Gulf waters. In his young adulthood, Leo would serve in the US Navy, and later, found occupation as a plasterer, often building homes for the less fortunate. But his talents were not limited to the land – Leo would share his knowledge of fishing, boat building and net making with anyone, which was always done in his front yard. Though he was

Fourth generation fisherman, Clyde F. Ross, Jr., is the eldest of six children born to Clyde, Sr. and Rita Mae Fryou Ross. He was raised in “Possum Neck” area of Biloxi, closely located near the ice houses and seafood factories. This is where his parents shrimp boat, the “Magg-Doff” would be docked and Clyde, Sr. would teach his children the industry. “Ricky” would work side by side with his father on weekends, summers and on school breaks. But his teachers would include uncl

Born in 1895, Splitsko-Dalmatinska, Croatia, arrived in Biloxi, Mississippi, and soon found work in the seafood industry. He would marry Mary Kuluz Pitalo and begin a family. Fulfilling his dream, Mateo purchased his first Biloxi lugger in 1920, and then later, a second. For more than 30 years, Mateo would captain the MARGARET A with Bill Romero serving as captain of the MARION BOY. Captain Pitalo would work for many of the seafood factories along the Gulf Coast, but worked m

Joseph Alfrede Boudreaux was born August 28, 1875, in Loreauville, Iberia Parish Louisiana. His parents were Jean Pierre Boudreaux and Marie Rosema Bourg. Joseph Alfrede's family remains in Iberia Parish working in the farming community and nearby Vermilion Parish. He met and married Elizabeth “Elisa” Toups. They were married on January 14, 1895, in Vermilion Parish. Elisa Toups was born July 16, 1879, in Abbeville, Vermilion Parish Louisiana the daughter of Valerie Toups and

Born Ivan Kolic, in 1899, John Kolich left his homeland of Yugoslavia arriving in the United States in 1919. Later Johnny arrived in Biloxi where he would meet Alma Weeks hauling watermelons from her father’s farm in Foley, Alabama. Together, they had three children. Kolich would make his career as boat captain aboard the schooners, ADRIATIC and PACIFIC, both owned by Grego Anticich. In the late 1940s, the PACIFIC would be sold to the Mavar Shrimp and Oyster Co. and Kolich wo

Born in England in 1868, John Edward Lewis came to Biloxi in the late 19 th century where he would serve as a respected member and official of the Mississippi Pilot Association. As a decades long captain of the pilot boats, Lewis guided ships into and out of the coastal ports and barrier islands of the Mississippi Sound. He was recognized for his civic leadership in recovery from various hurricanes during his lifetime on the Gulf Coast. Among is most well known and documente

Luka Kuljis was born in Milna, Brac, Croatia in 1886 and immigrated to New York in 1904 aboard the “Julia Treiste” working his way to...

One of the Gulf Coast’s most experienced captains, Jay Trochesset has served over 50 years chartering the waters of the Mississippi Sound...

Born in 1920, JP Trochesset was a native Biloxian born to a family of boat builders, including his father, Jules Pierre Trochesset, Sr....

Born in 1909, Joseph Lee Murray came to Biloxi as a child and immediately found himself at home among the fishermen of the area. At the...

Born in Youngsville, LA in 1915, Tony David was the son of Henry and Rosa David. In his 80 years as a resident of Biloxi, he served in...

Immigrating from Privlaka, Croatiain 1907 at the age of twenty-four, John Zorich came to America, arriving at New Orleans aboard the...

The son of Stanley “Rook” Kopszywa and Lola Mae Broussard, Michael Kopszywa was born in Biloxi in 1949. As early as the age of three,...

Lois Joseph Fountain, Jr. was born on January 1, 1930, on the Back Bay of Biloxi. He was the eldest of thirteen children born to Lois and...

Oliver Steven Bosarge was born August 31, 1958, into a family that can trace its heritage to the first French settlers of the Gulf Coast...

Ivan Skrnich, who was known as “John”, immigrated to the United States from Milna, on the Island of Brac, in the Austrian/Hungarian...