Fishermen and Craft "the Patriot" sink off Gloucester Mass.

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A family is grieving as two members of the same family tragically loose their lives doing what they must to make a living.

"At the center of the tragedy is Matt Russo's wife, Josephine, who is pregnant, and their three-year-old son Salvatore. Matteo Russo's parents were returning from vacation in Florida."

The men are known dead as the Coast Guard recovered both bodies in the area of the last known position of the boat. The search was launched after an on board fire alarm connected to the Russo home was activated.

"With two boats involved in the search, the Coast Guard put the time of the fire alarm at about 1:40 a.m. The debris was not located until 5:15 a.m. The bodies were found and recovered soon thereafter."

These deaths are thought to be the first since the tragic collision of the Russian freighter with the Starlight in 2001 which also resulted in 2 deaths. Approximately 5000 fishermen have been lost at sea from this, "the nations oldest fishing port."

"Matteo Russo, 36, the owner and captain of The Patriot, and his father-in-law John Orlando, also a longtime local fisherman, both died early today when the 54-foot trawler based out of Gloucester's Jodrey Pier went down, Coast Guard officials confirmed his afternoon. The boat's last known location was pegged some 15 miles southeast of Gloucester Harbor, a site within Stellwagen Bank."

"Russo and Orlando apparently went out to Middle Bank for cod at 6 p.m. Friday night and planned to stay out through Saturday."

"It was the only boat out on Middle Bank, and it was out from the previous day," said Vito Giacalone, a fisherman at the center of the community, who operates a nonprofit bank that has acquired and leases federal permits."

"Russo had acquired the 11-year-old trawler and renamed it earlier this year. The boat was formerly named the Danielle Marie."

Folks in the area considered this boat to be one of the hardier and better conditioned crafts.

"Matt didn't spare expenses," Giacalone said in an interview. "The boat was well-maintained. Weather shouldn't have been a factor."

"When I look at the boats in the Gloucester fleet," said Times columnist, fishing author and lobsterman Peter Prybot, "this is the last one I'd ever dream would go down."

"This is a shocker, this was a perfect boat," said Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fisherman's Wives Association. "Gloucester has one more time been stricken."

"The Coast Guard learned of trouble aboard the Patriot after a fire alarm went off on board at about 1:45 a.m., according to Coast Guard officials. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter, cutter and rescue boat to the Patriots' last known position. Terrell said crews found debris in the water, and the body of one of the two fishermen. The Coast Guard later found the second victim after a search of several hours. "

source: GloucesterTimes.com

source: GloucesterDailytimesOnline