The following is a copy of a book review of Brooklyn Steel-Blood Tenacity dated October 26, 2008;
George Mason University History News Network By Robert Parmet Professor of History,
York College of the City University of New York
The Brooklyn Navy Yard has had a long life. A shipyard along the East River, it was owned and operated
by the United States Government from 1801 to 1966, purchased by New York City in 1967, and then
reopened in 1971 as an industrial park. Two years later, Frank Trezza found a job there as a marine electrican
for Seatrain Shipbuilding. Under conditions that he describes in vivid detail in his autobiography,
Brooklyn Steel-Blood Tenacity.
Though Trezza provides a brief historical perspective on the Yard towards the end of his account,
what he essentially presents is autobiography, the story of how he and his wife, Milagros,
managed to survive and have three children under difficult circumstances.
Trezza and his fellow shipbuilders endured long layoffs, twelve-hour work days, seven-day work weeks,
an often treacherous workplace with dangerous walkways, falling equipment, icy decks in winter,
hot decks in summer, toilets without privacy, and obnoxious human beings. Labor relations in building
the VLCC Williamsburg, for example, involved dealing with the "rat patrol," people who would raid the
restroom and take note of the workers who were there rather than at work and then accuse them of
not producing enough, which was punishable by suspension without pay or dismissal. One such
individual, "Mr. Rat," received his comeuppance on a bus, where he was beaten in the face with a
tow truck chain. While building the Stuyvesant ("Economic Hell!), workers gained revenge on
an unpopular supervisor by making a voodoo doll to represent him and sticking pins in its crotch.
Along with this account of a ceremony are those accidental deaths, reminiscent of Upton Sinclair's
indictment of the meatpacking industry in The Jungle. For example, one workers died from loss of blood
after his legs were crushed by an I-beam, another from a forty-foot fall when he lost his footing on an
overhead crane. Trezza tells his story and theirs without pretense, in the often raw language of the workplace, and illustrates it with his own photographs.
Brooklyn Steel-Blood Tenacity Publisher; Publish America.
ISBN1-4241-8273-5
Brooklyn Steel-Blood Tenacity Copy Right 2007 All Rights reserved.
To order Brooklyn Steel-Blood Tenacity, you can use the following links.
Bldg 92 Brooklyn Navy Yard Center will open on Nov. 11th, 2011 with a dynanamic exhibition
and Visitors Center.
If you are interested in the Yard's History from the time the City took over the Yard from the Government in 1967
you might like to read my book Brooklyn Steel-Blood Tenacity and the Appendix. You will gain detailed information
not contained in the exhibition.
The book's appendix link also details part of the Brooklyn Navy Yard's History which you will not find
on other web sites [1966-1986]. This would include the history of Seatrain Shipbuilding Corp.,
Coastal Dry Dock & Repair Corp. and the Yard's poor management, the site is free to view.
You will also find a detailed map of the Navy Yard, explaining what parts Setrain Shipbuilding Corp.
and Coastal Dry Dock & Repair leased from C.L.I.C.K. & the Brooklyn Navy Yard Development Corporaration.
The Sea Witch, work was started on her in an effort to turn her into a stainless steel chemical tanker.
Newport News finished work on her.
| Hull # | Original Name | Original Owner | Vessel Type | MARAD Design | MARAD # | GT | Delivered | Disposition |
| 100 | Brooklyn | Seatrain Lines | Crude Carrier | T10-S-92a | 268 | 110,500 | 31-Dec-73 | Sold foreign: scrapped |
| 101 | Williamsburg | Seatrain Lines | Crude Carrier | T10-S-92a | 272 | 110,500 | 31-Dec-74 | Sold foreign: scrapped |
| 102 | Stuyvesant | Seatrain Lines | Crude Carrier | T10-S-92a | 273 | 117,300 | 31-Dec-75 | Sold foreign: scrapped |
| 103 | Bay Ridge | Seatrain Lines | Crude Carrier | T10-S-92a | 305 | 117,300 | 17-May-79 | Sold foreign: now "Kuito" |
| 104 | Crown Heights | Seatrain Lines | Crude Carrier | T10-S-92a | 320 | 117,300 | | Cancelled |
| 105 | America/Caroline | Coord. Carib. Tpt. | Trailer Barge | IB5-MT-121a | 323 | 14,000 | 27-Jan-82 | Completed by Norshipco, now "Strong American" |
| 106 | Unnamed | Coord. Carib. Tpt. | Trailer Barge | IB5-MT-121a | 324 | 14,000 | | Not completed: scrapped |
| 107 | Unnamed | Cumberland | Container Barge | C2-S-125a | 331 | | | Cancelled |
| 23 | Cindy F | | Deck Barge | | | 4,754 | 1976 | Later "ATC 781", "BB-110", now "Elvis" |
| 25 | | | Deck Barge | | | 5,377 | 1976 | Later "Morris J. Berman", scuttled 1994 |
| 26 | Burke F | | Deck Barge | | | 2,974 | 1976 | Now "Nehalem" |
| 28 | Antone F | | Deck Barge | | | 5,339 | 1977 | Now "Nestucca" |
| 29 | Arctic Challenger | | Deck Barge | | | 4,717 | 1976 | Active |
| 33 | McAllister Transporter | McAllister Lines | Deck Barge | | | 3,397 | 1977 | Now "Atlantic Trader" |
| 38 | USL-502 | | Dry Bulk Barge | | | 11,556 | 1979 | Now "Doris Guenther" |
| 39 | GCS 230 | Gellatly & Criscione | Tank Barge | | | 2,167 | 1979 | Active |
| | Mary Cecilia | Dixie Fuels | Deck Barge | | | 9,259 | 1979 | Now "Katy-B" |
The Shipbuilders were represeneted by The United Industrial Workers of North America a branch of the Seafarers Union.
We were vested in our pension after 5 years of service. If interested in your pension try the
Seafares International Union.
Picture may not be copied or reproduced without wriiten permisission by Frank J. Trezza,
all rights reservised.
Pictures inside the Yard
By Frank J, Trezza 1977 By Frank J. Trezza 1977
By Frank J. Trezza The Surgon's House Brooklyn Navy Yard by Frank J. Trezza 1977
Photo by Frank J. Trezza 1977
1977 the corner store use to be Peter's Bar now it is a sub shop. Photo by Frank J. Trezza 2011
The Willliamsburg under construction in Dry Dock # 6 in 1974, single bottom hull.
Photo by Frank J. Trezza 1974
Rail Road Bridge Brooklyn Navy Yard 1977 by Frank J. Trezza Main gate Coastal Dry Dock & Repair Corp. Brooklyn Navy Yard 1977 by Frank J. Trezza
For more photos please use the link below.
The Brooklyn Historial Society will soon be putting my entire collection of photo online, Check back for details and link, 12/18/2011.
I was invited to the opening of BLDG 92 on Nov. 10, 2011. Everyone involed in the project did an outstanding
job on the project. It is well worth a vist, The history of the Yard is coverd from 1637 until today. The exhits on Seatrain
Shipbuilding & Coastal Drydock are great! Below are photos inside BLDG 92 and the Yard.
Photo by Millie Trezza Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Photo by Frank J. Trezza From the Battle Ship USS Arizona Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Photo by Frank J. Trezza Note:Book cover photo in exhibit! Photo by Millie Trezza
Photo by Frank J. Trezza Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Photo by Frank J. Trezza Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Photo by Frank J. Trezza Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Bldg 128 Photo by Frank J. Trezza
BLDG 128 Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Bldg 152 Photo by Frank J. Trezza Bldg 269 Phot by Frank J. Trezza
Bldg 313 Photo by Frank J. Trezza
Inside BLDG 92 The Yard from the Air.
Questionon on Seatrain Shipbuilding or just want to talk to the Author, please go to Contact Us
above and click on it.
To arrange a personal viewing of the Seatrain Collection please contact the Brooklyn Historical Society.
The collection is on reserve until such time, the Brooklyn Historical Society puts the collection
online for everone to view.
Trezza, Frank J.
The Frank J. Trezza Seatrain Shipbuilding Collection, 1861-1988, 0.25 linear feet
ArMs 1988.016
The Frank J. Trezza Seatrain Shipbuilding Collection documents shipbuilding activities at the Brooklyn Navy Yard from its closing by the Department of Defense in the mid-1960s through its rebirth and eventual demise under the management of the Seatrain Shipbuilding Corp. Though the dates of the collection span from 1861 to 1988, the bulk of the records span the period 1973-1978, when Frank J. Trezza was an employee of Seatrain Shipbuilding. Included in the collection are newspaper clippings, union publications, pamphlets and newspapers published by Seatrain, a Seatrain employee orientation kit, black & white photographs, color photographs, color slides, and black & white negatives.
Subjects
- International Union, United Industrial Workers of America
- New York Naval Shipyard
- Seatrain Shipbuilding Corp.
- United States. Navy
- Brooklyn (New York, N.Y.)
If you ever worked for Seatrain Shipbuilding Corporation inside the Brooklyn Navy Yard and would like to give an oral history please use the link below.
note: all witeings authors opinion unless other wise stated.