Shrimp Legends
Arnulfo Villareal
It is said that “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” Arnulfo Villarreal was a strong man who came from hard times. As the owner and captain of the Vixen, his crew knew that he had no tolerance for laziness. One of his favorite sayings was “I don’t need any chiefs, only Indians on this boat.” He trained the next generation of shrimpers to love and appreciate the sea. Arnulfo was a patriot of his time and served in his country in WWII. He worked hard his whole life and while being very serious when it came to work, he was never too busy to help out a friend.
Charles Burnell
Charles Burnell, from Brownsville, Texas, was around shrimping all his life, because his father was in the industry. He went on his first shrimping trip in the summer of 1954, making $4.67 a day. He took 3 shrimping trips that summer to pay for college. He purchased his first boat, El Durado, in 1964. 86 year old Charles told us his craziest story of being captured by Mexican officials while shrimping and being put into Mexican jail for 4 days. After being let out on bail, he escaped Mexico and hasn’t been caught since. The greatest lesson Charles learned throughout his time was, “be persistent, make up your mind, and do it right, you’ll be successful.” Charles now owns 4 boats, has 4 kids and 3 step kids.
Chencho Garcia
Chencho Garcia was raised in Palacios, Texas where he found a deep love for the sea. He is the younger brother of our owner Edward “Lalo” Garcia. Growing up as a first generation Mexican-American was tough. Starting as a teen Chencho would spend his days shucking oysters and working on shrimp boats. The work was hard, and days were long, but young Chencho enjoyed this work much more than that of the cotton fields. By the time he was in his 20s Chencho was a full-time fisherman, he found a great amount of fortune as a bay fisherman. He decided he was being called to serve his country in Germany shortly after. Upon his return, his love for the sea called him back, Chencho and his wife Julia purchased their first boat in 1962. Chencho and Julia had 6 children and many grandchildren. Together with his boys, hard work, and God’s grace he found great luck in the shrimping industry. He continued to dabble in the shrimping industry until his death in 2014.
Bernard Aparicio
Bernard Aparicio had been around the water his whole life. Growing up during the depression, Bernard grew to be a man that knew how to handle hard times and hard work. He started as a young man working the waters, like most in this beautiful town. As a young adult, he went on to join the US Navy and served in WWII. Upon his return, he went back to the water. Being a shrimp captain would be his lifelong career. His motto was “work smarter, not harder.” Bernard was a teacher, most of his young nephews worked under him at one time or another, teaching them priceless lessons on how to run a boat and manage a crew on a long voyage. He loved telling stories, talking about playing baseball as a young man, sing, and having a good time. He was known as “Dean Martin of the Gulf”. He had a charisma that drew everyone to him. Bernard passed away in 2004. He was a great charmer, and his family has a great appreciation for him as a shrimp legend.
Vernon Bates
Vernon was born in Bayou La Batre, Alabama and at age 2 moved to Palacios, TX. Vernon was born into one of the founding shrimp families in Palacios. His family had been shrimping the Matagorda waters since the early 1900s. Vernon married the love of his life, Faye, at 21 and was soon shipped off to war. Upon his arrival home, Vernon decided, like most in “the city by the sea”, that he would follow his family’s legacy and become a shrimper. He found great success and purchased his very first boat called “The Cecile”. Vernon and Faye had 2 sons. We have much gratitude for this shrimp legend paving the way in our industry.
Robert and Charlie Flores
Robert and Charlie Flores were born and raised in Palacios, Texas. They made their livelihood from the waters of the Gulf. As young boys, they would wake up early to harvest oysters from the bay with their father. They started out as a shrimp header as early as 12 years old and Robert later became a deckhand with his Uncle Felix. Robert and Charlie decided to purchase their first boat, Mister Charlie, in honor of their father and soon owned 4 boats together, but they stopped fishing after Charlie got sick. Sadly, Charlie passed away in 1998. Robert was known to have the heart of a teacher, no matter who you were, he always wanted to share his craft. If you needed a job, he would find a place for you on one of their boats. Now retired, he has fond memories of shrimping and says he misses the spray of the gulf waters and the sway of the boat beneath his feet. Much gratitude for the hard work of these two pioneers of the Gulf.
Benito Garcia
Benito Garcia was out shrimping on the Barbara D with Rodolph Mosier (Captain Midnight). While shrimping, a storm struck their boat and the Barbra D tragically sank. Ben was known as a hardworking and soft-spoken man who loved the sea. He supported his family through the gifts the Gulf of Mexico offered. He left behind a faith-filled wife, Aunt Chapel and their 10 children. Gone but never forgotten. Rest in peace Ben and Captain Midnight.