Over the past five years, Yamaha has been an enthusiastic sponsor of the Manhattan Cup, an event that introduces wounded veterans to the healing powers of fishing wrapped in the guise of an all-release striped bass tournament. Held the first Friday of June at Liberty Landing Marina and the Liberty House Restaurant in Jersey City, directly across from New York’s financial district and the majestic Freedom Tower, it has become the highlight of the spring striper season. If you’re not familiar with the event a little background is in order.
On September 11, 2001, a day that seems so long ago but is still seared into the collective psyche of our nation, a young charter fishing captain from Staten Island was on the waters of Raritan Bay when he witnessed a plane strike the Towers. Unsure what to do, but knowing he had to do something, Frank Crescitelli pointed his boat toward New York Harbor and ran toward danger at full throttle coming to a stop at the entrance to the Morris Canal, a small waterway that enters the Hudson at the site of where the tournament is held each year.
The towers were burning. He radioed the Coast Guard, but things were total chaos. A New Jersey State Police boat approached and told him to hold position and not allow any boats to enter the main harbor until he was relieved. There he watched the spectacle unfold as the towers succumbed to the structural damage and plummeted to the ground. He was profoundly impacted by the experience, not unlike a 16-year-old boy from Brooklyn named Robert Gil who viewed the scene from the opposite side of Manhattan Island. Frank and Robert didn’t know each other but they would meet under very different circumstances years later.
Two years earlier Frank was involved in a fledgling striped bass tournament run out of Chelsea Piers on the West Side of Manhattan, but after the pain and suffering inflicted on so many, including his wife Sharon whose cousin was among the FDNY personnel who died in the Towers, the Manhattan Cup’s direction changed forever. With his tournament co-chair at the time, Dave Fallon, they started inviting the city’s first responders to fish as guests in the tournament. Most were suffering from the after-effects of the attack, the loss of so many friends and coworkers, and in need of a diversion. It was then that Crescitelli coined the phrase, “Using fishing as a force for good,” and it became the mantra of the Manhattan Cup. As the years went by a new and much larger group of American heroes were returning from military service in Afghanistan and Iraq with injured bodies and minds and the Cup redirected its efforts again. For almost two decades the tournament has hosted close to a thousand warriors, many dealing with PTSD, some teetering on the edge of suicide, to fish with professional fishing captains, guides and private boat owners who donate their boats and services for this special day. It has been life-changing for so many disaffected veterans in need of a new direction and almost magically exposure to fishing can begin their healing journey.
Two years after 9/11 Robert Gil enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight against those who desecrated his city. Rising to the rank of Seargent in the Army and assigned to an elite group of Scouts he guided his platoon on dangerous patrols to lure out terrorist fighters. On his last patrol, a car bomber raced toward his men and directly at the Humvee where he was manning a 50-caliber machine gun in the roof turret. He maintained fire to protect his men, but the car bomb exploded so close to him he was gravely wounded. After numerous surgeries, he was shipped home where PTSD did its best to try and destroy him. He attempted suicide and was in a VA hospital when he was told he was going fishing. Gil came to the Manhattan Cup as a quiet, introverted man who had never held a fishing rod in his life. The captain he fished with taught him the basics of using a rod and reel and as fate would have it, he caught and released the largest striper that day and won top honors—the coveted Manhattan Cup. That day was also the beginning of what would become an enduring friendship with tournament director Frank Crescitelli.
Gil returned to the Cup two years later and gave a heartfelt speech recounting how his introduction to fishing had saved his life. It had given him something to talk about, sparked a love of the outdoors and friendships with other fishermen. When he concluded there was not a dry eye in the audience. Gil went on to become the tournament’s Warrior Liaison. He reaches out to veterans who can benefit from the fishing and comradery the event spawns and makes the arrangements to get them there. He works with veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a surprising number who served in Viet Nam and are still experiencing the aftereffects. He speaks to them with the voice of someone who has been through dark times and struggled to come out the other side and he uses fishing and his love of the outdoors as his message of hope.
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Yamaha has been incredibly supportive of the Manhattan Cup since getting their feet wet with the event five years ago. As a major sponsor they put their money on the line because they understand the importance of using fishing as a force for good. With their help, the tournament took a big step forward in its mission incorporating a new non-profit called the Fin Chasers Warriors Outdoors with Robert Gil as the president and Crescitelli as chairman of the board. The mission is to assemble a small group of veterans who can help other veterans, some in crisis, others still dealing with the demons of the past. Working with warriors in a one-on-one environment and putting together group events focused on fishing and the outdoors has a healing effect that builds friendships and self-confidence.
With money raised by the Manhattan Cup, the Foundation purchased a new 16-foot RO Drift Boat, ideal for fishing the rivers around Gil’s country property in Eastern Pennsylvania. When Yamaha got wind of the boat, they immediately jumped in offering the ideal outboard motor to power it for use on larger rivers and lakes where motors are permitted.
“With friends and supporters like Yamaha, the Manhattan Cup has been able to do so much more than we ever thought possible,” said Crescitelli. “We are bringing more warriors to the tournament than ever before, and Robert has been able to help veterans in crisis by bringing them out on the boat, putting a fishing rod in their hands and just talking, warrior to warrior. The transformation is remarkable. Robert was recently recognized for his efforts by the Veteran’s Administration, and we hope to be able to generate more funding to help the Foundation continue to grow and provide outreach to more veterans in need.”
Robert has found his calling, working with fellow warriors, and was recently promoted to the position of regional manager for Project Healing Waters in addition to his work heading up the Fin Chasers Warriors Outdoors Foundation. He holds weekly fly tying and casting events in a local lodge near his home, and partners with Project Healing Waters to organize group fishing trips on local rivers. Through donations and grants he brings small groups to fish the salt aboard charter vessels and organizes camping and hunting trips. His mission is to reach as many warriors as possible and help them heal.
“It all started with the Manhattan Cup,” said Gil. “What has happened since is like a dream come true.”
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On September 11, 2001, a day that seems so long ago but is still seared into the collective psyche of our nation, a young charter fishing captain from Staten Island was on the waters of Raritan Bay when he witnessed a plane strike the Towers. Unsure what to do, but knowing he had to do something, Frank Crescitelli pointed his boat toward New York Harbor and ran toward danger at full throttle coming to a stop at the entrance to the Morris Canal, a small waterway that enters the Hudson at the site of where the tournament is held each year.
The towers were burning. He radioed the Coast Guard, but things were total chaos. A New Jersey State Police boat approached and told him to hold position and not allow any boats to enter the main harbor until he was relieved. There he watched the spectacle unfold as the towers succumbed to the structural damage and plummeted to the ground. He was profoundly impacted by the experience, not unlike a 16-year-old boy from Brooklyn named Robert Gil who viewed the scene from the opposite side of Manhattan Island. Frank and Robert didn’t know each other but they would meet under very different circumstances years later.
Two years earlier Frank was involved in a fledgling striped bass tournament run out of Chelsea Piers on the West Side of Manhattan, but after the pain and suffering inflicted on so many, including his wife Sharon whose cousin was among the FDNY personnel who died in the Towers, the Manhattan Cup’s direction changed forever. With his tournament co-chair at the time, Dave Fallon, they started inviting the city’s first responders to fish as guests in the tournament. Most were suffering from the after-effects of the attack, the loss of so many friends and coworkers, and in need of a diversion. It was then that Crescitelli coined the phrase, “Using fishing as a force for good,” and it became the mantra of the Manhattan Cup. As the years went by a new and much larger group of American heroes were returning from military service in Afghanistan and Iraq with injured bodies and minds and the Cup redirected its efforts again. For almost two decades the tournament has hosted close to a thousand warriors, many dealing with PTSD, some teetering on the edge of suicide, to fish with professional fishing captains, guides and private boat owners who donate their boats and services for this special day. It has been life-changing for so many disaffected veterans in need of a new direction and almost magically exposure to fishing can begin their healing journey.
Two years after 9/11 Robert Gil enlisted in the U.S. Army to fight against those who desecrated his city. Rising to the rank of Seargent in the Army and assigned to an elite group of Scouts he guided his platoon on dangerous patrols to lure out terrorist fighters. On his last patrol, a car bomber raced toward his men and directly at the Humvee where he was manning a 50-caliber machine gun in the roof turret. He maintained fire to protect his men, but the car bomb exploded so close to him he was gravely wounded. After numerous surgeries, he was shipped home where PTSD did its best to try and destroy him. He attempted suicide and was in a VA hospital when he was told he was going fishing. Gil came to the Manhattan Cup as a quiet, introverted man who had never held a fishing rod in his life. The captain he fished with taught him the basics of using a rod and reel and as fate would have it, he caught and released the largest striper that day and won top honors—the coveted Manhattan Cup. That day was also the beginning of what would become an enduring friendship with tournament director Frank Crescitelli.
Gil returned to the Cup two years later and gave a heartfelt speech recounting how his introduction to fishing had saved his life. It had given him something to talk about, sparked a love of the outdoors and friendships with other fishermen. When he concluded there was not a dry eye in the audience. Gil went on to become the tournament’s Warrior Liaison. He reaches out to veterans who can benefit from the fishing and comradery the event spawns and makes the arrangements to get them there. He works with veterans who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, and a surprising number who served in Viet Nam and are still experiencing the aftereffects. He speaks to them with the voice of someone who has been through dark times and struggled to come out the other side and he uses fishing and his love of the outdoors as his message of hope.
Yamaha has been incredibly supportive of the Manhattan Cup since getting their feet wet with the event five years ago. As a major sponsor they put their money on the line because they understand the importance of using fishing as a force for good. With their help, the tournament took a big step forward in its mission incorporating a new non-profit called the Fin Chasers Warriors Outdoors with Robert Gil as the president and Crescitelli as chairman of the board. The mission is to assemble a small group of veterans who can help other veterans, some in crisis, others still dealing with the demons of the past. Working with warriors in a one-on-one environment and putting together group events focused on fishing and the outdoors has a healing effect that builds friendships and self-confidence.
With money raised by the Manhattan Cup, the Foundation purchased a new 16-foot RO Drift Boat, ideal for fishing the rivers around Gil’s country property in Eastern Pennsylvania. When Yamaha got wind of the boat, they immediately jumped in offering the ideal outboard motor to power it for use on larger rivers and lakes where motors are permitted.
“With friends and supporters like Yamaha, the Manhattan Cup has been able to do so much more than we ever thought possible,” said Crescitelli. “We are bringing more warriors to the tournament than ever before, and Robert has been able to help veterans in crisis by bringing them out on the boat, putting a fishing rod in their hands and just talking, warrior to warrior. The transformation is remarkable. Robert was recently recognized for his efforts by the Veteran’s Administration, and we hope to be able to generate more funding to help the Foundation continue to grow and provide outreach to more veterans in need.”
Robert has found his calling, working with fellow warriors, and was recently promoted to the position of regional manager for Project Healing Waters in addition to his work heading up the Fin Chasers Warriors Outdoors Foundation. He holds weekly fly tying and casting events in a local lodge near his home, and partners with Project Healing Waters to organize group fishing trips on local rivers. Through donations and grants he brings small groups to fish the salt aboard charter vessels and organizes camping and hunting trips. His mission is to reach as many warriors as possible and help them heal.
“It all started with the Manhattan Cup,” said Gil. “What has happened since is like a dream come true.”
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