By DONALD WITTKOWSKI
Sea Isle City is mourning the death of Butch Romano, a local legend who owned Marie’s Seafood Market & Lobster House and was perhaps as equally well known for his morning coffee klatches that served as daily community get-togethers at the restaurant.
Romano, whose formal first name was Silverio, was almost universally known by his nickname Butch. He died Saturday night at his apartment above the restaurant after putting in a day’s work, relatives and friends said. He was 79.
“On behalf of the entire Romano family, we would like to extend our sincerest thanks for the outpouring of love and support with the heartbreaking loss of Butch,” the family said in a statement Monday. “He was a larger-than-life man who we all loved and respected. This has been a heartbreaking loss and has left a huge void in our lives. As arrangements are still being made, we plan to share details as soon as they are finalized.”
Relatives and friends recalled Romano’s love for his family, his strong work ethic and his popularity throughout the community, including the convivial morning coffee klatches at his restaurant that were a big draw for the locals.
“He was not only a neighborhood icon, but he was Steve’s best friend who taught him everything about the business. He was a grandfather who taught his grandkids the meaning of family and work,” said his daughter-in-law Shannon Romano, who is married to Steve Romano and serves as Sea Isle City’s municipal clerk.
His son, Steve, succeeded him in running Marie’s Seafood. He also has a son, Michael, and a daughter, Lisa Rutledge, who heads Sea Isle City’s Human Resources Department. He was predeceased by his wife, Diane. He is also survived by 12 grandchildren.
“He was a wonderful person – a kind person. He will surely be missed,” said City Councilman Jack Gibson, who was a close friend of Butch Romano’s and was best of friends with his late brother, Joe.
Gibson, a former state assemblyman, called Butch Romano one of the most popular figures in Sea Isle. He remembered a time when he and Romano were walking on Sea Isle’s oceanfront Promenade while Gibson was still serving in the Statehouse.
“We were walking on the Promenade and I got a few hellos. But nobody walked by without saying hi to Butch,” Gibson said. “Because of his restaurant and him being so well known, he was more popular than a sitting assemblyman.”
Joe Romano, Butch Romano’s nephew and the owner of Sea Isle Ice, said his uncle’s work ethic was unmatched.
“He was unbelievable. He had a work ethic like no one else I knew in life. He was the hardest worker I ever knew,” Joe Romano said.
Joe Romano also spoke of his uncle’s love of people and generosity toward others.
“He was the kind of person that you love to be around,” he said. “He loved the fish market and people. Money didn’t mean anything to him. He would give you the shirt off his back.”
Gibson noted Butch Romano’s varied background. As a younger man, Romano served as a manager for grocery stores in Cape May County and also worked as a bouncer at Sea Isle’s bars for a time.
“I knew him all of his life,” Gibson said. “He was something of a legend. He was a tremendously hard worker and a pioneer in seafood takeout in Sea Isle.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, Romano helped Marie’s Seafood adapt to the business restrictions that were placed on restaurants at the time by shifting the focus to takeout orders, Gibson said.
Romano and his brother, Joe, helped to develop the family restaurant founded by their grandparents in the Fish Alley neighborhood, an enclave of family-owned restaurants and fishing boats rooted in Sea Isle’s early history as a small commercial seaport. The restaurant, a fixture at 43rd Street and Park Road, is named after Butch and Joe Romano’s grandmother, Maria Misiano.
With Butch Romano in charge, the restaurant continued to flourish and became the scene of his famous coffee klatches. Romano would entertain his friends with his colorful stories while sharing a cup of coffee, Gibson recalled.
“We enjoyed his stories,” Gibson said. “Not only did we enjoy the coffee, we enjoyed the entertainment.”
