A commercial fisherman by the age of 14, Fiorentino descends from a long line of seaman, clipper captains and master riggers in Genoa Italy. One of Gerrard's first boats was the 87' Santo Antonino (picture above) that he purchased with his father Valentino Fiorentino. A self taught man, Fiorentino used his natural engineering abilities to dramatically impact the commercial fishing industry by modifying existing boating equipment and inventing entirely new equipment. Fiorentino's accomplishments include co-designing the world's first 3,000-pound power block (left photo), and creating or modifying purse blocks, anchor winches, seine winches, and black cod holders.

Shortly after he was released from the Navy in 1946, Fiorentino pioneered the concept of converting a military parachute into an underwater drift control device. He then spent much of his life at sea experimenting with various rigging techniques. In fact, it was a common practice for he and his crew members to deploy a para-anchor over 50 times in a single season. And, after 200 actual storm deployments off the Western Pacific, Eastern Pacific and South American Coasts, Fiorentino (left photo, sitting bottom right) has learned that the para-anchor's rigging system is key to its success.

Once Fiorentino developed a safe rigging system, the young entrepreneur cashed in on his new discovery by investing in a large inventory of military cargo chutes, which he then stored away on three open lots in San Pedro, California. Word began to spread fast about "Fiorentino's rigged para-anchors," among fishermen and yachtsman up and down the Western Coastlines of the United States and Mexico.


By 1958, the forward-thinking Fiorentino moved his inventory of surplus para-anchors and commercial marine equipment into a 3,000-foot waterfront store, (photo on the right) ideally located right next door to the commercial fishing fleet and San Pedro's Cabrillo Yacht Club. His word-of-mouth business was so successful that it turned into a full-time operation that has lasted over 40 years in the same location. Today, Fiorentino para-anchors are manufactured in Newport Beach, California where the company and Gerrard Fiorentino's engineering efforts continue to influence manufacturing and design standards in the parachute sea anchor industry. Fiorentino Para Anchor is a privately owned entity in partnership with Fiorentino Marine Sales.


Boat Photos:
Gerrard Fiorentino demonstrates how easy it is for any sailor to practice using their para-anchor off any type of boat. The fishing vessel photo on the right was Gerrard's last fishing vessel "Holy family." The other photo is aboard Zack's former Catalina 25.