Frank Mundus
Encyclopedia
Frank Mundus was a sport fisherman at Montauk, New York
who is said to be the inspiration for the character Quint in the movie and book Jaws
. Up until his death, he chartered out his boat "Cricket II" for those seeking the thrill of big game fishing.
He started out as a shark hunter but then later became a shark conservationist.
Mundus' early techniques, which included killing whales merely for chum
and harpooning sharks (practices which are outlawed today), earned him criticism even at the time. In the last few years of his life Mundus had campaigned for shark fishermen to catch and release
their prey including a conservation book "White Shark Sam Meets The Monster Man." In 2008 the Cricket spent much of the summer docked near Atlantis Marine World
in Riverhead, New York where conservation of the predators was preached.
Mundus died on September 10, 2008, due to complications from a heart attack he suffered on September 6, the day he returned home to Hawaii
after spending the summer in Montauk. According to his obituary he had spent the last night in Montauk aboard the Cricket 2 which had made him famous and had his heart attack in the Hawaii airport immediately after returning.
and moved to Brooklyn
when he was young. In 1951 he began a charter fishing operation in Brielle, New Jersey
.
. In his first year at Montauk he played an important role in the rescue and retrieval of "The Pelican
" an overloaded party boat in which 35 of 54 on board perished after capsizing in a squall. He was among the second wave of searchers, and helped tow the hull of the Pelican to port with ten dead bodies still trapped inside. The disaster was the worst in Montauk recreational history and led to numerous laws regulating the industry.
Mundus started what he called "Monster Fishing" with boats leaving the port at Lake Montauk
. Mundus with his colorful character became immediately popular. He further helped his reputation by catching a 4,500 pound white shark by harpoon (the figure of 4,500 pounds was estimated without the shark having been weighed). In 1986 he and Donnie Braddick caught a 3,427-pound great white about 28 miles off Montauk, and only 18 miles from Block Island, which still holds the record, not only for the largest shark, but for the largest fish of any kind ever caught by rod and reel. The capture of the shark was controversial at the time with some saying the shark was feeding on a whale when caught (which would have negated the so-called "Official Record"). The International Game Fishing Association ruled that the catch was legitimate based on photographs.
In 1991 the U.S. Coast Guard said that his license had expired and he had to reapply. Mundus initially attempted to sell the Cricket 2 and moved to Hawaii. The sale did not go through although the boat would be operated by others. He officially retired as a charter captain in 1997. In the years before his death he would come back to Montauk for its shark tournaments and would ride along on higher priced Cricket 2 excursions. He died in Hawaii shortly after returning from Montauk.
In 2005, he appeared in a Shark Week
documentary "Shark Hunter: Chasing the Great White" which was narrated by actor Roy Scheider
who played Martin Brody in Jaws
and Jaws II (ironically both men died three years later in 2008). The special told of Frank's early career, how he became the in inspiration for Quint, his world record capture, and how he turned from shark hunter to shark conservationist. Frank also joined Chris Fallows
and other Shark conservationists in viewing great whites in their natural habitat. In one such viewing of the breaching Great Whites (made famous in the "Air Jaws" series of specials) along with Chris Fallows, during which Chris brought out a seal decoy he had humorously named "Frank" after Mundus (a hat like the ones Mundus usually wore was even added to it) and they used it to fool them into breaching.
He said that the cricket name was inspired because his profile resembled that of Jiminy Cricket
.
He made appearances on David Letterman
and Larry King
.
In comparisons to his character in Jaws his web sites quotes him:
What did you think about the movie Jaws?
Is it true that the shark hunter "Quint" in Jaws is based on you? In what ways does he resemble you?
Montauk, New York
Montauk [ˈmɒntɒk] is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet with the same name located in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States on the South Shore of Long Island. As of the United States 2000 Census, the CDP population was 3,851 as of 2000...
who is said to be the inspiration for the character Quint in the movie and book Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
. Up until his death, he chartered out his boat "Cricket II" for those seeking the thrill of big game fishing.
He started out as a shark hunter but then later became a shark conservationist.
Chum
Chum is a fabulous person Chum may refer to:*Chum salmon, a kind of salmon , native to the northern Pacific and adjacent waterways* Chum is a slang term for a friend....
and harpooning sharks (practices which are outlawed today), earned him criticism even at the time. In the last few years of his life Mundus had campaigned for shark fishermen to catch and release
Catch and release
Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before experiencing serious exhaustion or injury...
their prey including a conservation book "White Shark Sam Meets The Monster Man." In 2008 the Cricket spent much of the summer docked near Atlantis Marine World
Atlantis Marine World
Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center is a museum with an Atlantis theme which opened in 2000 on Long Island in Riverhead, New York, United States....
in Riverhead, New York where conservation of the predators was preached.
Mundus died on September 10, 2008, due to complications from a heart attack he suffered on September 6, the day he returned home to Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
after spending the summer in Montauk. According to his obituary he had spent the last night in Montauk aboard the Cricket 2 which had made him famous and had his heart attack in the Hawaii airport immediately after returning.
Early life
Mundus was born in Long Branch, New JerseyLong Branch, New Jersey
Long Branch is a city in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 30,719.Long Branch was formed on April 11, 1867, as the Long Branch Commission, from portions of Ocean Township...
and moved to Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
when he was young. In 1951 he began a charter fishing operation in Brielle, New Jersey
Brielle, New Jersey
Brielle is a Borough located in southern Monmouth County, New Jersey along the Manasquan River. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 4,774....
.
The Pelican
He moved to Montauk in 1951 saying he wanted to start charters for bluefishBluefish
The bluefish , called tailor in Australia, is a species of popular marine gamefish found in all climates. It is the sole species of the Pomatomidae family....
. In his first year at Montauk he played an important role in the rescue and retrieval of "The Pelican
Pelican (Fishing Vessel)
The FV Pelican was a party boat, or head boat, operating out of Montauk, New York, which capsized on September 1, 1951, killing 45 passengers, including the captain Eddie Carroll.- Background :...
" an overloaded party boat in which 35 of 54 on board perished after capsizing in a squall. He was among the second wave of searchers, and helped tow the hull of the Pelican to port with ten dead bodies still trapped inside. The disaster was the worst in Montauk recreational history and led to numerous laws regulating the industry.
Monster Fish
However he soon discovered that bluefish were not plentiful but the sharks were in the Montauk waters.Mundus started what he called "Monster Fishing" with boats leaving the port at Lake Montauk
Lake Montauk
Lake Montauk is a 900-acre embayment in Montauk, New York that is home to the largest commercial and sporting fish fleets in the state of New York.-History:...
. Mundus with his colorful character became immediately popular. He further helped his reputation by catching a 4,500 pound white shark by harpoon (the figure of 4,500 pounds was estimated without the shark having been weighed). In 1986 he and Donnie Braddick caught a 3,427-pound great white about 28 miles off Montauk, and only 18 miles from Block Island, which still holds the record, not only for the largest shark, but for the largest fish of any kind ever caught by rod and reel. The capture of the shark was controversial at the time with some saying the shark was feeding on a whale when caught (which would have negated the so-called "Official Record"). The International Game Fishing Association ruled that the catch was legitimate based on photographs.
In 1991 the U.S. Coast Guard said that his license had expired and he had to reapply. Mundus initially attempted to sell the Cricket 2 and moved to Hawaii. The sale did not go through although the boat would be operated by others. He officially retired as a charter captain in 1997. In the years before his death he would come back to Montauk for its shark tournaments and would ride along on higher priced Cricket 2 excursions. He died in Hawaii shortly after returning from Montauk.
Colorful Character
Mundus reputation was enhanced by his eccentric personality and ostentatious displays of the killed sharks (something he would say later he regretted). "He always said the charter business was 90 percent show and 10 percent go," said Chris Miller, a Montauk resident who had seen him on the docks. He colored his big toenails red and green for port and starboard. He wore a hoop earring and an Australian slouch hat and a shark tooth necklace.In 2005, he appeared in a Shark Week
Shark Week
The Discovery Channel's Shark Week, which first aired on July 27, 1987, is a week-long series of feature television programs dedicated to sharks. Shark Week is held annually, normally running in July or August. Shark Week was developed to help the average person have a greater respect for sharks....
documentary "Shark Hunter: Chasing the Great White" which was narrated by actor Roy Scheider
Roy Scheider
Roy Richard Scheider was an American actor. He was best known for his leading role as police chief Martin C...
who played Martin Brody in Jaws
Jaws (film)
Jaws is a 1975 American horror-thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg and based on Peter Benchley's novel of the same name. In the story, the police chief of Amity Island, a fictional summer resort town, tries to protect beachgoers from a giant man-eating great white shark by closing the beach,...
and Jaws II (ironically both men died three years later in 2008). The special told of Frank's early career, how he became the in inspiration for Quint, his world record capture, and how he turned from shark hunter to shark conservationist. Frank also joined Chris Fallows
Chris Fallows
African born Chris Fallows is an expert on the Great White Shark and their hunting habits. He has amassed the largest database of predatory events involving Great White Sharks in False Bay and was the first member of the scientific community to observe the breaching behaviour.-Early life:Growing up...
and other Shark conservationists in viewing great whites in their natural habitat. In one such viewing of the breaching Great Whites (made famous in the "Air Jaws" series of specials) along with Chris Fallows, during which Chris brought out a seal decoy he had humorously named "Frank" after Mundus (a hat like the ones Mundus usually wore was even added to it) and they used it to fool them into breaching.
He said that the cricket name was inspired because his profile resembled that of Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
.
He made appearances on David Letterman
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
and Larry King
Larry King
Lawrence Harvey "Larry" King is an American television and radio host whose work has been recognized with awards including two Peabodys and ten Cable ACE Awards....
.
Inspiration for Quint in Jaws
Mundus is often said to be the inspiration for charter captain Quint in the book and film Jaws. The novel's author Peter Benchley denied that he was the inspiration and Mundus was not used as a source in the movie. However, Carl Gottlieb did indeed say that in the film Jaws he portrayed him. However, many Montauk residents say that Mundus was definitely the inspiration. John Ebel, a mate on the Cricket said that Benchley had privately acknowledged that Mundus was the inspiration but had publicly denied the association for legal reasons. They note the following:- Mundus and Benchley had gone on shark hunting expeditions out of Montauk prior to the 1974 novel and were filmed together aboard the Cricket II in a 1974 episode of American Sportsman
- In the book the fictional Jaws community of Amity is described as being between Bridgehampton, New YorkBridgehampton, New YorkBridgehampton is a hamlet in the South Fork of Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 1,381 at the 2000 census....
and East Hampton, New YorkEast Hampton (town), New YorkThe Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York...
, the latter the location of Montauk. - Quint's boat was said to be berthed at a place called "Promised Land." Mundus' boat at one time was docked at the fish factory called Promised Land in Napeague, New YorkNapeague, New YorkNapeague is a census-designated place that roughly corresponds to the hamlet with the same name in the town of East Hampton in Suffolk County, New York, United States...
immediately west of Montauk. - Joe Gaviola, a Montauk businessman, was quoted as saying, "He is Quint. If you read the book, he was everything Frank was. Benchley spent weeks fishing with him. Give me a break. He is Quint."
- Both Frank and Quint possessed a hatred for the two-way radio.
In comparisons to his character in Jaws his web sites quotes him:
What did you think about the movie Jaws?
- It was the funniest and the stupidest movie I've ever seen because too many stupid things happened in it. For instance, no shark can pull a boat backwards at a fast speed with a light line and stern cleats that are only held in there by two bolts. And I've never boiled shark jaws. If you do, you'll only end up with a bunch of teeth at the bottom of your bucket because the jaw cartilage melts.
Is it true that the shark hunter "Quint" in Jaws is based on you? In what ways does he resemble you?
- Yes, he was. He knew how to handle the people the same way I did. He also used similar shark fishing techniques based on my methods. The only difference was that I used hand held harpoons after field-testing harpoon guns and discovering that they didn't work: the dart would pull out after hitting the fish.