Who We Are
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 shipwrecks in the waters off the coast of New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts, the most celebrated of which are U-550, the last German U-boat known to rest in diveable North Atlantic waters, and the 1855 French passenger steamship Le Lyonnais. 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,” "The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit-And-Run off the Coast of Nantucket," and in dive publications worldwide. The vessel is owned by Atlantic Wreck Salvage, L.L.C. and operated by a team led by Jennifer Sellitti.
Jennifer Sellitti
Jennifer Sellitti is the Managing Member of Atlantic Wreck Salvage. She manages dive expeditions, conducts historical research on both the ships Tenacious dives and ships that are the subject of new projects for the team, oversees the team's side scan sonar projects, and leads the team’s efforts to educate the public about the importance of shipwreck discovery and salvage. She has participated in the discovery of new shipwrecks and organizes regular expeditions to dive sites off the Eastern seaboard. She has provided surface support on international expeditions to SS Andrea Doria, HMHS Britannic, RMS Lusitania, and other shipwrecks far from shore. Jennifer is a diver and a U.S.C.G. licensed ship captain. She is an associate member of the Boston Sea Rovers and a trustee of the New Jersey Maritime Museum. When she is not at sea, she works as a criminal defense attorney. Her first book, The Adriatic Affair: A Maritime Hit-And-Run Off the Coast of Nantucket, tells the story of the sinking of the Nineteenth-century passenger steamship, Le Lyonnais. The book's epilogue chronicles D/V Tenacious's 2024 discovery of Le Lyonnais's final resting place.
OUR TEAM
Atlantic Wreck Salvage works with a team of divers whose experience and expertise span decades. Our divers are certified in advanced technical and mixed gas diving. Many are also certified commercial divers with whom we partner when the job requires it.
Joe Mazraani, 1978-2025
Atlantic Wreck Salvage was founded by the late Captain Joe Mazraani. Since childhood, Joe Mazraani was fascinated by the sea, its creatures, and the treasure that is the underwater world. Growing up in Lebanon, Joe spent his summers by the Mediterranean. He immigrated to the U.S. at age 15 and became a certified diver in the mid-90s. Joe quickly took to diving sunken wrecks off the Northeast U.S. coast and instantly developed an obsession with exploring the sunken hulks that litter the approaches to New York Harbor.
Shipwreck exploration was a way of life for Joe. He founded Atlantic Wreck Salvage and specifically acquired D/V Tenacious to accomplish several projects, including locating and exploring deep, uncharted wrecks in the North Atlantic. He participated in the discovery of numerous shipwrecks including SS West Point, U-550, the stern of SS Pan Pennsylvania, the bow of M/V Stockholm, and Le Lyonnais. Joe led expeditions to the famed Italian liner SS Andrea Doria, RMS Lusitania, and other, lesser-known shipwrecks. He is credited with locating the bell of Titanic's sister, HMHS Britannic on a May 2019 expedition to the wreck. He earned a reputation as an exceptional technical diver and an accomplished dive boat captain. Whether on deck or in the water, Joe always got the job done.
A criminal defense attorney by trade, Joe was a U.S.C.G. licensed captain and certified diver. In March of 2020, he was inducted as an associate member of the Boston Sea Rovers. He is survived by his partner in life and exploration, Jennifer Sellitti, who took the helm of Atlantic Wreck Salvage upon Joe's death in 2025.
Joe died on July 29, 2025 during an expedition to identify uncharted shipwrecks in Georges Bank. Reaching Georges aboard D/V Tenacious and documenting the wrecks there was a dream he and Jennifer shared and worked toward for more than 10 years. In 2024, they led a team that discovered three shipwrecks on Georges Bank including the 1855 passenger steamship, Le Lyonnais.
Joe Mazraani was larger than life. He was kind, compassionate, and generous. A mentor and a student, a friend, brother, son, and partner. Whether motoring aboard D/V Tenacious, diving into deep and dangerous water, or defending his clients in court, Joe demanded the best of everyone around him. Sometimes he demanded it grumpily—but he always demanded by example.
Some say exploration is not worth the risk. If viewed in isolation, perhaps it isn’t but, for Joe, it wasn't just diving. It was a way of life. He understood better than anyone that life offers no guarantees. He lived every moment fully, without compromise. He did not want to die doing what he loved—none of us do. He wanted to survive it, to grow old doing it. But when you live at the edge, sometimes the edge pushes back.
Atlantic Wreck Salvage and its mission to dsicover, preserve, and promote shipwreck exploration is Joe's legacy. His team honors it by continuing to explore the wonders of the underwater world, by pushing boundaries, and crossing new horizons. The Captain Joe Mazraani Memorial Fund, a 501(c)3 organization, has been established in Joe's name and is dedicated to working with organizations that promote shipwreck exploration and fostering the next generation of technical divers.
The CAPTAIN JOE MAZRAANI MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The Captain Joe Mazraani Memorial Scholarship Fund is dedicated to honoring Captain Joe Mazraani's legacy of shipwreck exploration. Through this 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation, Atlantic Wreck Salvage will provide scholarships to support divers, historians, and researchers to discover, document, and salvage historical artifacts from shipwrecks and related underwater exploration projects. In the coming months, information will be provided about how explorers can apply for grants through the Fund. Click the link below to donate online. For information about how to donate directly, please contact Jennifer Sellitti at jsellitti@dvtenacious.com.