Jose Gaspar and Other Pirates
The Author was born in St. Petersburg, Florida in1936. His mother was born in Seminole, Florida in 1906 and who's father settled there in 1880. The Author's father was born in Richmond, Virginia and came to St. Petersburg in 1923 and he had a keen interest in history, especially the Civil War and the American Indians. The Author's father, at an early age, interested him with artifacts found by the his father at battle sites in and around Richmond, musket balls, slugs, arrow heads and even a brick from the Appomattox Court House. On familyvacation trips, would take the Author to his favorite locations and would find more artifacts. The Author's grandfather created in him his real interest in the history of Florida's Westcoast, with stories told to him about the Spanish he had dug up, the Indians he had seen and all of the interesting places along the West coast. The Author still hunts for lost money and jewels, but now it is at the beach, with both an underwater detector and one for up the beach and still finds enough valuables to enjoy the hunt. The Author has a diverse background of interests having been an Airline pilot, President and originator of a Marine Coatings paint company, manufacturing anti-fouling coatings and owner and operator of a yacht maintenance service and today is semi-retired.