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He helped sustain Mirabella's good name

By Marty Clear, Times correspondent
In print: Friday, March 28, 2008

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ADVERTISEMENT Buster Mirabella ran Mirabella’s Seafood Co., which his parents started.

TAMPA — For about 60 years, the people of Tampa knew where they could find fresh seafood: the rustic little fish market on the water downtown run by Buster Mirabella.

"From the gulf to the fryer to your plate," said his son Morris Mirabella. "That was the slogan, and that was pretty much the way it was."

Sebastian "Buster" Mirabella spent most of his life running Mirabella's Seafood Co., which his parents started when he was a teenager. He died of heart failure March 15 after several years of declining health. He was 94.

He lived his whole life in Tampa and worked in his parents' seafood business from an early age. "Family lore has it that his parents sold fish from a cart," his son said.

His parents, immigrants from Sicily, opened Mirabella's Seafood Co. in the late 1920s, and Mr. Mirabella worked there from age 14 until he was 75.

"It was all he ever knew, but I think he loved it," said his daughter, Santa Floyd. "I never once heard him say, 'Oh, darn. I have to go to work now. Not once.' "

Mirabella's was just a market initially, but shortly after World War II, Mr. Mirabella's brother Frank had the idea of serving prepared seafood meals. It was supposed to be a sideline, but it became so popular that the family opened Mirabella's Seafood Restaurant on Dale Mabry in 1952. Both were owned by the family, but Mr. Mirabella ran the downtown location while Frank ran the restaurant.

The downtown market was such a Tampa institution that it seemed everyone in town knew Mr. Mirabella. City leaders often tried to persuade him to run for the City Council.

"He always thought his lack of education would keep him from being elected," his daughter said.

Because he started working when he was 14, Mr. Mirabella never finished high school. Frank graduated from college, though, and he ended up serving several City Council terms.

Mirabella's Seafood Co. closed in 1988. Mr. Mirabella was still enjoying the work, but the opening of the Tampa Convention Center changed traffic patterns and made it difficult for customers to reach Mirabella's. Chains like Red Lobster and Shells took customers and suppliers away from the mom-and-pop places.

Besides, Mr. Mirabella was 75 and getting tired of unloading boats of seafood at midnight.

"I think he just thought it was time," his daughter said. He called it quits.

After retirement, Mr. Mirabella remained active in the family's restaurant. But the market had been the main supplier of its seafood, so the restaurant lasted only another couple of years.

He spent his later years relaxing with his wife, Teresa, who died two years ago, and indulging his longtime passion for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"He was one of the first season ticket holders," his son said. "He went to every game, rain or shine, even when they weren't winning any of them. He'd always say, 'They'll win the next one,' and he kept saying that until they did start winning."

Besides his daughter and son Morris, Mr. Mirabella is survived by son Tony, brother Frank, sister Millie Messina, eight grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.