One of the most familiar faces at the long range docks will no longer be seen. Mario Ghio, owner of Sportsman’s Seafood on Quivira Road in San Diego, has passed. Word spread quickly among those who knew Mario, and there were many who thought well of the family man who could be found behind his little stand on any day, no matter the weather or the early hour, when a long ranger or a dayboat with a good catch arrived to unload fish and passengers.

The American Angler posted this December 2:

“We are traveling down and experienced a gorgeous sunrise as we realize how blessed that we are. We got the unfortunate news that our friend Mario Ghio passed away last night and it gives us the reminder to keep things in perspective. We have been extremely lucky to have known Mario over the last 25 years as he is one of those individuals that has helped us to become better people. Many of you may not know that Mario was a fisherman first as he grew up fishing commercially with his father Mingo and gained knowledge of the ocean and how to reap its benefits whether it be with a net, trap, or hook and line. He taught us plenty, whether it be about local knowledge, conditions, fishing techniques, fish handling and storage; but most importantly he showed by example how to be a better person.

“Being a fisherman, ones mind can play tricks on us as things can spin out of control whenever we experience adversity and we can be quick to blame others for our misfortunes. Mario was exactly the opposite as he was always in a good mood and although I have seen many situations where he could have complained, he never did because he was wiser than that. We all have a lot to learn from that man as many times it’s easy to make a big thing out of something that in the big picture is really very small and that instead we should look more at the positive things in life. Mario was king of enjoying his life, family, friends, eating, smoking and drinking and because of his infectious charm all that have known him are better for it. All we can say is that Mario if you are reading this, thank you for being our friend.”

I met Mario long before I became the dockside journalist in 1993. I used to ride the dayboats exclusively, and whenever I had a good catch, I’d take it to Mario for processing. I loved the way his smoked fish tasted in particular. One day he gave me a tour of his plant, and I saw the old-fashioned brick smoker he used to make naturally-smoked fish and his world-famous tuna jerky.

“That smoker is at least 50 years old,” said Mario. “It may be the only one of its kind left on the west coast.”

The old wood-fired brick smoker uses hickory and mesquite charcoal, and of course his own secret brine solution. Mario’s is the only natural charcoal process currently being offered. Each batch may be custom made, and made it to your order if you like. Tuna jerky is tasty, spicy and slightly chewier than smoked fish. It stays in the smoker longer.

Every Thanksgiving and Christmas Mario smoked turkeys for all his friends who provided a bird for the purpose. Those smoked turkeys were delicious, and remained tasty and safe to eat in the refrigerator for many days after the holidays.

Troubled and in some pain from bladder cancer in recent times, Mario suffered, but didn’t complain. In his later years Mario didn’t keep his skipper’s license, but at one time he worked aboard seiners, and had a captain’s 2000-ton uninspected certificate. He was a staunch family man, and his family has been in the fishing business for four generations, “close to 100 years,” he told me.

Mario’s connection to the sportfishing business went back to 1950, when he was born at Mercy Hospital, delivered by the father of present-day regular long ranger, Vince Biondo of Del Mar. Biondo’s father, Dr. Vince Biondo, handled the birthing. Mario graduated from San Diego High School in 1968.

“Then I went right to the University of the Pacific,” he joked about entering the fishing business, “and I’m still there.”

He started as pinhead on gillnetter, and on worked seiners like Maria Elena and the Captain Vincent Gann of Puerto Rico, and the City of San Diego. He fished from the racks aboard the baitboat Viking, and afterward worked on the Colomba, fresh fishing by gillnetting. Mario came to sport-caught fish processing in the early 1990s, and he was there for over 20 years.

Mario Ghio has five children. Two are boys, and work at Sportmen’s Seafood in summer. One son also fishes lobster commercially. He is seen here with his daughter Bella.

One of my fishing buddies who went with me to pick up fish from Mario over 20 years ago remarked, "That guy is a classic!"

And he surely was. When he took a vacation, Mario liked to jump in his pickup and visit the remote parts of mid-Baja’s coastline to spend some time fishing. It was all part of his continuing education at the University of the Pacific Ocean.

Mario Ghio was one of the finest people I ever met at the docks. He will be greatly missed for his gentlemanly manners, his upbeat personality, his sense of humor, and his willingness to go out of his way to help someone he had never met before. They don’t much make ‘em like Mario anymore.