ANDREA DORIA EXPEDITION UN LEMBO DI PATRIA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SHIPWRECK SURVIVORS AND DIVERS TO COMMEMORATE
65TH ANNIVERSARY OF S.S. ANDREA DORIA COLLISION AND SOUND THE SHIP’S
NEWLY SALVAGED AND RESTORED FOGHORN

BEACH HAVEN, NJ – Shipwreck survivors, divers, and historians will gather at the New Jersey Maritime Museum on Sunday, July 25 at 1:00 p.m. to commemorate the 65th Anniversary of the S.S. Andrea Doria’s tragic sinking. As part of the program, the Museum will unveil and blow the Andrea Doria’s foghorn, which was recently salvaged by the crew of New Jersey-based Dive Vessel Tenacious and restored. This will be the first time the horn has sounded since the Andrea Doria collided with the M.S. Stockholm on July 25, 1956, in a dense fog off the coast of Massachusetts. The collision sank the Andrea Doria and left the Stockholm damaged but afloat. The program is hosted by the New Jersey Maritime Museum and will feature:

• Shipwreck Author and Historian Bill Miller;
• Andrea Doria Salvor in Possession John Moyer of Moyer Expeditions, L.L.C;
• Andrea Doria Survivor, Author and Filmmaker Pierette Domenica Simpson;
• Andrea Doria Survivors Corrado Sigona and Joe Porporino;
• Diver and Filmmaker Steve Gatto; and
• D/V Tenacious Captain Joe Mazraani of Atlantic Wreck Salvage, L.L.C.

Andrea Doria was built in Genoa, Italy by Gio. Ansaldo & Company. The 700-foot-long ocean liner was the flagship of the Italia Line, a line of luxury transportation between the United States and Europe. Although she was not the largest or fastest ship of her day, she was regarded by many as the most beautiful and referred to as a “floating art gallery†with paintings, murals, sculptures, and tapestries by some of Italy’s most prominent artists. On July 26, 1956, the ship was steaming from the Mediterranean to New York. The same night, the 524-foot Stockholm departed New York for her home port of Gothenberg, Sweden. The ships collided in a dense fog at 11:00 p.m. The Andrea Doria sank the following day, but the Stockholm returned to port carrying survivors. Her bow was later repaired, and she continued to sail as a cruise ship for decades under different names. There were 1,706 people aboard the Andrea Doria on the evening of the collision. 46 perished. 5 perished on the Stockholm.

The day after the Andrea Doria sank, investor and diver Peter Gimbel and diver Joseph Fox dovethe wreck to chronicle the sinking for Life Magazine. Gimbel’s and Fox’s photographs appeared in the publication’s August 8 and September 17, 1956 editions and instantly made the Andrea Doria one of the world’s most famous maritime casualties. Only a handful of dive expeditions are made to the wreck each year. The Andrea Doria’s 250-foot depth and condition, as well as strong currents and low visibility in the waters surrounding the wreck, make her an extremely challenging dive.

John Moyer, along with Tom Packer and Steve Gatto, hold salvage rights to the Andrea Doria. They have amassed an impressive collection of artifacts from the wreck, including the ship’s bell, steering helm, brass framed windows, and fine China. In 1993, Moyer and a team of divers aboard the R/V WAHOO recovered the prized ceramic sculptures created by Italian artist Guido Gambone. Some of these items will be displayed at the Museum during the event.

“I heard about the Andrea Doria for the first time in 1975 at a shipwreck artifact show and immediately became fascinated by the ship, her art treasures, and her history,†said Diver and Salvor in Possession John Moyer, Moyer Expeditions, L.L.C. “Fortunately, we have been able to rescue many historically important artifacts and unique works of art before they were lost forever. The importance of conserving these artifacts cannot be overstated. Due to the harsh conditions in the North Atlantic, the Andrea Doria will one day be an unrecognizable pile of debris on the bottom of the sea.â€

Divers Tom Zajac and Mazraani discovered one of two of the ship’s foghorns in 2016 during one of D/V Tenacious’ annual expeditions to the wreck. On August 6, 2017, a team that included Mazraani, Zajac, Packer, Gatto, Andrew Nagle, Michael Dudas, and Rick Simon, returned to the wreck and salvage the foghorn. The horn then underwent an extensive restoration process.

The foghorn’s original manufacturer, Swedish-based marine company Kockumation, is still in business. Mazraani sent the sounding mechanism to Malmo, Sweden for restoration. Local artisans, including Eric Zandotti of Metalmorphose (Kennett Square, PA) constructed a shortened steel mastbase alongside of which the horn is mounted. Christine Genghini and Nathan Granja of Treetop Crafters (Doylestown, PA) crafted the wooden base on which the horn base and horn now rests. Scott Ciardi of Brass from the Past (Dartmouth, MA) cleaned and restored the horn’s bronze parts to a mirror-finish. Aqua Environment (San Rafael, CA) provided the regulator that will drive the right amount and pressure of air for the horn to sound again. These artisans and companies have made it possible for Andrea Doria survivors to hear the horn again for the first time in 65 years.

“I remember the evening of the collision as if it were yesterday. There was a dense fog, and the foghorn sounded into the night. I suddenly felt an abrupt, huge jolt accompanied by a thunderous noise. Our fluid ocean liner was hurled into the air on its right side, shaking terribly as it inclined to the left side,†said Survivor Pierette Domenica Simpson. Simpson, who nine at the time of the sinking, has dedicated much of her life to preserving the memory of the Andrea Doria in books, films, and public appearances. Her film, “Andrea Doria: Are the Passengers Saved?†recently won the Best Director Award at the Asti Film Festival. A condensed version of the film will be shown during the program. The ceremony will end with survivors in attendance ringing one of the Andrea Doria’s bells.

California-based Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo will sponsor a livestream that will enable people around the world to watch the event. More than 700 people are scheduled to tune in.

“We are so grateful to the New Jersey Maritime Museum for hosting this event and to all of those who have contributed to this project,†said Mazraani. “The foghorn recovery is a perfect example of how shipwrecks bring together survivors, families, artisans, businesses, divers, ocean liner aficionados, and other members of the public in recognition of extraordinary moments in our history.â€

About the S.S. Andrea Doria Foghorn Restoration
Andrea Doria’s foghorn is a Super Tyfon Siren TA 150/125, manufactured in Malmo, Sweden. It is 4 feet long and weighs 275 lbs. The trumpet is made from Meehanite, a type of cast iron. The parts and bolts are bronze and/or stainless steel. Eric Zandotti of Metalmorphose constructed a mast-base from heavy gauge steel. The base is powder coated in antique bronze and the trumpet of the horn is powder coated white, the horn’s original color. Christine Genghini and Nathan Granja of Treetop Crafters constructed the wooden base from black walnut. The horn, inclusive of the newly fabricated mast and base, weighs approximately 500 lbs.

Press Welcome at the Event
The event is private. Doors open at 1:00 p.m., and the program begins at 2:00 p.m. Members of the press who wish to attend should contact Jennifer Sellitti at the telephone or email above. The event will also be livestreamed around the world on the D/V Tenacious Facebook page and the support of sponsor Backscatter Underwater Video & Photo: https://www.facebook.com/DV-Tenacious2275518302463353

Photograph list attached.
Photographs are available in the Photos and Photo List section of the Digital Media Kit.
Photographs of the finished horn will be made available on July 25, 2021.

About Atlantic Wreck Salvage and D/V Tenacious
Atlantic Wreck Salvage (AWS) is a New Jersey-based company that conducts operations in the North Atlantic. D/V Tenacious is the vessel from which AWS’ crew locates, dives, and salvages shipwrecks. D/V Tenacious and her crew have discovered numerous wrecks in the waters off the coast of New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, the most celebrated of which is U-550, the last German U-boat known to rest in diveable North Atlantic waters. D/V Tenacious and her expeditions have been chronicled in the books “Where Divers Dare: The Hunt for the Last U- boat,†“Dangerous Shallows, In Search of the Ghost Ships of Cape Cod,†and in dive publications worldwide. The vessel is owned by Atlantic Wreck Salvage, L.L.C. and operated by Joe Mazraani and Jennifer Sellitti. When they are not at sea, Joe and Jennifer work as criminal defense attorneys in New Jersey. Visit AWS at www.dvtenacious.com.