This cache has been nominated for three awards by the NYC geocaching community! Best View, Best Hike & Best Series. Please check out all the nominees at www.NYCgeocaching.com
I personally was not alive yet on that day of November 22, 1963 but growing up on Staten Island you constantly remember what happened that day! If fact I may remember that event as well as anyone who was alive since nobody survived. Truth is nobody truly knows what happened, with the sun still set and the heavy fog, nobody knows. There was only one tugboat pilot that saw anything, and his story is still retold today, but even his view was not clear.
What is sure is that one that faithful day that 4 am Ferry Cornelius G. Kolff vanished without a trace.
But with all events on the "Forgotten Boro" of NYC this event was forgotten or totally overlooked but most people off the Island. The event got sparse coverage due to that lack of information and most people cared more about the death of the president than the death of over 400 strap-hangers.
After the NYPD finished there investigation, recovering several parts of the boat, it was concluded that a large Octopus of sorts pulled the boat under. I ride the 5 am boat everyday to work, and the fear of this happening again is always with me! With all bad there is a good!
Several years after the disaster Staten Islanders where looking for a way to keep the memories of the lost strap-hangers alive. Many different memorials and holidays were tried but the most popular to this day is the annual calamari festival.
Staten Island has a strong Italian cultural influence so the annual "Cornelius G. Kolff Calamari Festival" is the best of its kind! Last years festival was nicknames "Salty Revenge!"
I Hope to see you guys at next years Festival! It happens at the Alice Austin House every year on the second to last Saturday in November. Oh, and good luck figuring out how to find the cache.
