The ocean liner articles for the S.S. Argentina, S.S. Brazil and S.S. Uruguay contained herein were published by and for Mooremack Employees Ashore and Afloat.

Angy the Traveler

("The Mooremack News," January 1949)

(Courtesy of John-Paul DeRosa)

Angy Marasco spent Christmas away from his home in Seymour, Connecticut.  But Angy was accustomed to it.  He had been away from home many Christmases in recent years.  As leader of the orchestra of the S.S. Argentina, he was at sea, approaching Rio de Janeiro, and he and his musicians helped make Christmas at sea one of joy and pleasure for the several hundred passengers and crew members aboard ship.

Angy was the last of the passenger liner orchestra leaders to leave his ship early in 1942, when war summoned the S.S. Brazil to other duties, and he was the first of the leaders to return when the Argentina resumed peacetime service last January.  In between, he spent his Christmases in various parts of the world, in work that ranged from seagoing tasks under war conditions to jam sessions at Christmas parties.

Angy, an accomplished violinist and saxophonist, was planning to go ashore to study at the Yale University School of Music when the war came.  That first Christmas after Pearl Harbor he spent at sea with the Brazil.  The next Christmas, in 1942, he spent in Trinidad managing the mess hall for the company that built Fort Read.  In 1943, he was a yeoman on the S.S. Mexico on his way back from Glasgow with troops, in 1944 in the Pacific with the Mexico and in 1945 with the same ship as she lay in drydock in California.  He was out of service by 1946, but spent Christmas in New Haven, playing at a party, and in 1947, was again in that same New Haven.

Angy is a native of Seymour, Connecticut, and has thousands of friends among the students of his Connecticut, through proms and parties at which he has played.  He is a real Mooremackite, having served on all three of the big passenger liners.  He came to us first in February of 1940, joining the Uruguay, transferred next year to the Argentina and late in 1941 went to the Brazil where the war found him.

Which ship is best?  "How can you say when they're all perfect?" he replies.

Why Eleanor!

("The Mooremack News," April 1949)

(Courtesy of Vincent Fiorenza)

Whenever the News editors get an idea they can publish this journal without mentioning Eleanor Britton, our chief of cruise directors, something comes along to prove them wrong.  For example, this choice bit, by Alice Hughes, widely syndicated King Features columnist, just can’t be kept out of a Mooremack publication:

"Ocean M.C. — Met a gay girl the other night, Eleanor Britton, cruise directress of the Moore-McCormack Lines.  'I should be on the ocean this minute,' she told me, 'but the cruise business is so terrific they grounded me to train more entertainment directors.  Never had a season like this.  The boats are packed; folks have money; seemingly no cares.  All they want is to have fun.  In 60 cruises to South America, I’ve watched Latins from Manhattan making repeat trips.  South America fascinates North Americans.'  Any complaints on these cruises, I asked blonde, attractive Miss Britton.  'Just one.  Girls who take cruises seem to think a husband comes with the price of a ticket.  All we do is guarantee the moonlight.  Beyond that, every girl is on her own.'"

Carnival Cruises

("The Mooremack News," April 1949)

(Courtesy of Vincent Fiorenza)

One of the most successful passenger operations in Mooremack’s history was conducted the past Winter when the liners Argentina and Brazil sailed on special 4-day cruises to the Rio de Janeiro carnival.  A total of 600 passengers made the trip, and in true carnival fashion the Operations Department set up a holiday atmosphere at Pier 32, North River, during the hours preceding departure.

The Misses Gloria Roselle and Jean Mayne of the Passenger Department, crowned queens of carnival for the respective ships, appeared at the gangplank attired in Latin American fashion, the ships’ orchestras entertained with appropriate music, and as the ships prepared to sail the passengers were given serpentines and pompoms, which lent added color.

Two national photographic syndicates carried the queens’ pictures all over the country, with resulting fan mail from the deep South and the far West.  Too, the ports of Hamilton, Bermuda, and Barbados, in the West Indies, welcomed the ships as distinguished visitors, those ports of call having been added to the itineraries.

The ships served as hotels for the passengers during their stay in Rio and that city, in typical fashion, made the folks feel to home.  Mooremack sponsored a competition for special Rio carnival songs, and New York’s celebrated radio Station WQXR staged a special program of the songs, supplied by us.

Purser Changes

("The Mooremack News," July 1949)

(Courtesy of Vincent Fiorenza)

Three changes, one permanent. two temporary, were made recently in the purser’s department, and since they represent an opportunity for some of the fellows to show their talents as well as reward for talents proven, they arc worth noting.

The most important, since it is a permanent move, involves Maurice Scharman, appointed chief purser of the Brazil.  Mr. Scharman brings a wide sea experience to his new post.  He started in 1929, serving as purser of several ships of the Dollar Line.  He served in the Navy during the war, in South America and India, and joined Moore-McCormack Lines in 1946 as assistant purser of the Mormacport.  He also served as purser of the Mormacdawn and then was transferred to the Uruguay as assistant purser before being transferred to the Brazil in the same capacity.  His next move up the ladder places him in charge of all pursers of the Brazil.

When the Argentina sailed for South America in June, Aldo Mario was on as chief purser and John C. Perry as cabin purser, this because Harold Glynn, the regular chief purser, was ashore for a vacation.  Both Messrs. Mario and Perry are familiar figures to travelers aboard the Argentina.

Mr. Mario, the regular cabin purser of the ship, came with us in March, 1941, to serve aboard the Brazil, and became senior assistant purser of the Argentina in January 1943, a post he held throughout the war.  During 1947 he served as purser of nine different ships of the Mooremack fleet and returned in December of 1947 to the Argentina when she was being prepared to return to the South American service.  He was aboard when she made her first post-war sailing in January 1948, and has remained since.

Mr. Perry came to Mooremack in May 1939, as a purser’s clerk aboard the Argentina, remaining until September 1943 when he transferred to the John A. Harlan as assistant purser.  He served as assistant purser of three Mooremack ships until returning to the Argentina as junior assistant purser as the ship prepared to resume her post-war operation.  He took Mr. Mario’s place on the June sailing.

Sailing on the Brazil when she left New York June 17 was Harry Lindquist serving as her Chief Steward in place of Joseph Palchinsky, who is ashore temporarily.  Mr. Lindquist is assistant to Harry Richardson, Commissary Superintendent, and has had long experience as Chief Steward at sea.

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