Community Calendar

Thursday, April 14, 5:30pm at PHC

Immigrating to Fish: An Italian Family’s Journeys to New England & Maine

Please join us for the return of PHC’s popular History Happy Hour! We’ll be kicking off this year’s Happy Hour series with a talk by Tom Santaguida, in partnership with Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, which is located in Brunswick.

Fishing has been important to Maine since human beings first arrived in our area. The Wabanaki fished the ocean, rivers, and lakes seasonally and fish of all kinds was a staple of their diet. Every subsequent group of people to arrive in Maine has, in some way, benefitted from the fishing industry—and many have brought their own heritage to bear on it.

Tom Santaguida is a fisherman of Italian ancestry who lives in Brunswick, Maine, and has fished for more than fifty years, from the Caribbean to the Grand Banks off Newfoundland and Labrador. He has fished for just about everything from squid to groundfish to swordfish to lobster and crab, which he fishes for now aboard the F/V Caroline Elizabeth.

Join us to hear more about the Santaguida family’s immigration story, and the importance of the fishing industry and culture to Maine over the generations. This talk also marks the opening of our new Spring exhibition Hook, Line, and Sinker: Fishing in the Pejepscot Region, located in our Upstairs Gallery.


Tom Santaguida grew up in New Jersey as a part of a fishing family that originally came to the United States from Italy and brought their fishing heritage with them. After college, he moved to Maine to fish, first in Downeast Maine, eventually settling in Brunswick where he started his own family. He carries on ancestral traditions through his cooking blog and catering company, Cucina Del Pescatore.

Tickets: $8 PHC Members; $12 Non-Members

Cost includes a complimentary drink ticket.

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