Island Park lobster released after 30 years of captivity

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All eyes were on Larry the Lobster before his release. From left, Butch Yamali, Town Councilman Anthony D’Esposito, Supervisor Anthony Santino, Pepe Polblador and Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad.
All eyes were on Larry the Lobster before his release. From left, Butch Yamali, Town Councilman Anthony D’Esposito, Supervisor Anthony Santino, Pepe Polblador and Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad.
Rebecca Melnitsky/Herald

When he was born, the Statue of Liberty had just arrived in New York City. When he moved to Island Park, the Mets won the World Series and Ronald Reagan was president.

On June 22, Larry the Lobster, the 20-pound, 130-year-old lobster who has lived in the tank at Peter’s Clam Bar for the past 30 years, was released into the wild. (The age of a lobster can be determined by counting the rings on parts of its stomach.)

As restaurant patrons enjoyed lobster lunches, Town Supervisor Anthony Santino “pardoned” Larry for National Lobster Month and to promote the local seafood industry. “I guess you could celebrate National Lobster Month with a delicious plate of lobster at a great seafood restaurant like Peter’s Clam Bar here in Island Park,” said Santino. “But in Hempstead Town, with our cherished nautical heritage, we take our sea creatures very, very seriously. During this national celebration, while Americans are enjoying their favorite lobster dishes at restaurants across the country, we’re choosing a more respectful observance.”

Butch Yamali, the owner of Peter’s Clam Bar, said that he inherited Larry from the previous owner. He credited Pepe Polblador, the general manager of the restaurant, for taking care of Larry all these years — including feeding him hamburgers.

“We couldn’t possibly think of eating him,” Yamali said of Larry. “We were thinking of getting a leash for him, actually.”

Also present at the ceremony were Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad, Councilman Anthony D’Esposito — who was tasked with holding Larry — and East Rockaway Deputy Mayor Thresea Gaffney. Gaffney was accompanied by her sons, Patrick and John. Patrick wore a lobster hood, and during the ceremony, John walked over to the dripping-wet Larry and started wiping him with a napkin.

Members of the Town’s Department of Conservation and Waterways took Lary out on a boat to the Atlantic Reef, which is about 1.5 miles from the shore. “We wish Larry well and hope that he reins for many years as Town of Hempstead’s official king of the sea,” said Santino.

Although Larry will not be tracked, Yamali believes he will be thrive in his new home and live another few decades. “His claws are bigger than my hand,” he said. “He has no problem fending for himself. He’s knocked around plenty of lobsters in my tank over the years.”