Sicily's Last Fishnet Maker Dies

Antonio Vultaggio, the last Sicilian fishnet maker, has died at the age of 78, according to Italy Magazine. There’s something so special about Italian tradition that makes younger countries like the U.S. drool with envy since their history and ancestors only date back a few hundred years. And its stories like this one that make one realize how important it is to pass down a family tradition, or in this case, a trade. Sicily is a proud place and many local are devoted to their chosen trades. Vultaggio was one such man. He started making fishnets when he was only five years old, a tradition that had been passed down through three generations, and he would continue to make nets for the next 73 years of his life. He began his day every morning at 6 a.m. and worked outside on Sicilian coast until late afternoon. The pay probably wasn’t in the 6-digit range, but I bet a lot of people today would prefer it to sitting in an ice-cold office cubicle for 9 hours a day! — Laura Cimperman