THE BOSTON DAILY GLOBE — MONDAY, APRIL 18, 1960 Six Sons on a Boat By DOROTHY CRANDALL

Fishing has been in the Bramante Family for many generations. This article about Sal's Grandmother was published 66 years ago:

Tripolina Bramante of Medford has a problem. How can she make a living for nine children with her fishing boat?

“My six sons love fishing, they’d skip school, they’d go anywhere to be aboard the Cara Cara—but I put my foot down. Fishing is not for young men today. It is not progressing.”

The problem?

Five feet, 90 pounds Mrs. Bramante sighed, “Expenses. Insurance, taxes, gear and dry dock costs are endless. Yet the insurance doesn’t cover a fisherman’s family. What we need is a school where boys can learn modern fishing methods, to compete with other businesses.”

Domenic “Danny” Bramante, 23- the oldest son and the only one married, is captain of the Cara Cara, Bernie 20 and Salvi, 18, the engineer are the two working fishermen, James 17- but Frank, 16, and Peter, 13, wait their turn. Between trips, all seven Bramante men are at the wharf cleaning and painting

“My two little girls, Dolores, 11, and Christine, 9, go along—to wash the windows of the pilot house,” said Mrs. Bramante. “Only one—Olympia, 21—isn’t a fisherman. She can’t understand why I’m more interested in engines than I am in draperies and rugs.”

The phone rang. It was the boys, and their dad (20 years his wife’s senior, Salvatore Bramante retired after a heart attack at sea “but he keeps up”). The men were coming home for dinner.

Mrs. B. took from her refrigerator some fresh halibut steaks and pointed to a giant lobster “about 15 pounds” in the back on the floor of the cold box. “Cold and away from fresh water it’ll stay alive and active for two days.”

Fish is a favorite Bramante dinner, and this housewife uses one simple rule. “Season it well, cook it a very short time and they’ll eat every bite.”