Hello Cuba, It's Capt Tony!

This picture was taken in 1965, Oct. 14.  It was taken by United Press International, here is the wording from the side:
10/14/65 - KEY WEST, FLA: Captain Tony Tarracina of Key West, Fls. skipper of the "Greyhound 111" is shown after his return from Cuba 10/14.  Tarracino took a group of newsmen to the island for coverage of the refugees tryingt to reach the US.  Government officials met the boat owner and took he and his crew, including a girl "interpeter", away in cars.  None of the crew had passports to enter Cuba.  UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL TELEPHOTO.

I went to the Monroe County Library today to see what our wonderful custodian of history Mr. Hambright could help me find, and he only found one article, which I kind of summarize below...

And once again I quote - this time from the Key West Citizen...

Dauntless Captain Sets Out For Cuba----Finally

Capt Tony's "fun boat": the Greyhound III gave it the old college try again Tuesday night, departing for the second time for Caramarioca, Cuba, after an ignominious breakdown earlier the same morning

Loaded down with a bevy of big time fast moving foreign correspondents armed with heavy camera equipment, telephoto lenses, film packs and an ample supply of seasick pills the boat roared southward. 

Tony Tarracino, the grizzled old swashbuckler, dragging deeply on a cigaret butt, muttered
"I ain't worried. We'll make it"...when questioned on the docks at Garrison Bight just before casting off.

The article goes on to say the newsmen, from Life and Time Magazines along with a news crew from CBS television shelled out a handsome stipend for the trip. The news crew "said" they had a Washington clearance as long as they only took pictures and did not touch the beach.

So well stocked with food and refreshments and a good luck charm - a shapely interpreter named "Cessie" - All for the glory of the free press, a news scoop and maybe a sweet little old bonus.

My comment - I love this writer!  "ignominious","big time fast moving foreign correspondents", "shapely interpreter"... just love it...No name on the aricle tho'

And so this is where the picture comes from where all of his "marketing" began - pretty much.  I remember people telling him he was crazy to put a picture of his face (this picture) on a shirt!!!  I mean - Come ON!, who has an ego so big he would put his face on a perfectly good white tee-shirt?  And the picture above is an old napkin from the bar.  But the thing that really amazes me is that they were calling him a "grizzed old swashbuckler" way back in 1965. Turns out, he was just getting started.

XO
Smiles,
Toni