Key West The Way It Was

06/09/2026

Good morning, Photo and story by Keith Terracina, This is kind of interesting it’s my first roll of film I shot in Key West in 1977, for starters. I didn’t know how to load the camera. Let alone how to use the meter and focus it, one morning. I stopped at my dad’s house he showed me this camera. he got a hold of with all the lenses, tripod and everything, right away I thought it would be fun to walk around Key West with a camera and act like a photographe plus I really wanted to photograph things in Key West because everything was so cool looking and beautiful so I gave my dad $80 and some Key West treats and we called it even, The thing is  I actually needed a hobby hanging out in the bar partying all time and going fishing was fun and all, but I needed a hobby. I figure photographing sunsets and sunrises would be cool. anyway, the guy at the camera store showed me how to load the camera focus and use the metering system, so I jumped on my bicycle and went right to the end of Simonton Street to photograph. I was thinking maybe there would be  some boats on the water. It was a cloudy day. This is an image from my first roll of film, the next morning after I closed Captain Tony’s at four in the morning I went out partying as usual, but I made sure I would be at the end of White Street pier for sunrise, when I brought those first two rolls of film to get developed. I was hooked, some of those sunsets came out beautiful, this image right here is my third photograph ever taken in Key west except for the ones I took in 1969 with my dad’s camera a bunch of family pictures and the pictures I took outside the bar I tried to photograph my grandfather’s wild monkeys that were in a cage that surrounded the famous hanging tree but it was too dark I also tried to photograph the giant sharks hanging in the pool room that was 57 years ago. I wish I still had those photos and negatives. Those were lost way back in the 60s.

06/09/2026

That’s me Keith Terracina the author of this page and my book “Key West the way it was” this was  on one of our adventurous Fort Jefferson Dry Tortuga trips back in 1987 with Captain Andy Griffith Senior, we did a bunch of those four day party fishing trips back then, I actually started working for Captain Andy back in 1977 when we could fish the Tortugas commercially, we did a  couple of eight day trips out there and made a fortune, as far as our four-day party trips we always caught so much fish. It paid Andy the fuel and some party treats for us. Then we shipped  some of those yellowtail and black grouper fillets back to Jersey. My dad and his buddies kept the hog snappers and black groupers and mutton  snappers we also had to give my grandfather Captain Tony some fish. He was the mayor of Key West back then, that’s another freaking funny story, anyway on these party trips there was two of my buddies from Jersey and three of my father’s friends. There was like eight of us fishing like maniacs. We never paid for any of those trips after fishing for four days and partying we pulled up to the fish house in Key West and sold all the fish. and we still had so much fish to ship to Jersey and for my father and his friends I miss those days. The funny thing is I actually went out fishing in Key West on the reef in 1969, that’s when I caught the famous Key West fishing fever pretty much the best fishing in the continental United States that’s a fact, I was only 13. at that time, my grandfather had his fourth charter smuggling boat the greyhound Four 65 feet double-decker dual turbo charged engines or whatever that means, that was the first time I went fishing on the reef and snorkeling 57 years ago yes I’m old. but I got some stories if you’re interested where to pick my book up in Key West.  or wanna know how to get one through me just send me a text 908-361-5606. I return all text with a phone call if you like. And I’d love fishing stories.

06/09/2026

Selfie and story by Keith Terracina our honeymoon nine years ago, it’s a real long story but I’ll make it short, that’s my babe with a cigar, Miss Lisa Jo Burke now Miss Terracina these days, way back 47 years ago Lisa and I hooked up in Key West back then I was 23 and she was 17 just two crazy kids speeding in the fast lane with no seatbelts on, no rules no regulations we moved in together within two weeks of meeting, Actually a true love story like I said I’m gonna make it short we lasted two years and split apart never to see each other again for another 37 years. That’s when we met on Facebook. She sent me a request, that first night we talked for three hours, it’s quite interesting when your speaking to someone who you loved 37 years prior and all of a sudden you’re on the phone with them back then we both really loved each other, but I had just had to many distractions on that crazy island, the bar, the photography, the whole kit and caboodle, Anyway we ended up speaking every day for three hours sometime twice. It was crazy. after a bunch of exchanges of photographs and some pretty sassy videos within a week, we realized we made the biggest mistake in the world when we split apart, and the plan was for me to close down everything in New York business, studio and what other things I was doing in New York thank God she pulled me out of that, anyway, I got everything in order and decided to spend the rest of my life with Miss Lisa Jo Burke it took me 3 1/2 months to get everything in order, So on November 8 election day in 2016 I flew into Orlando airport with not even seeing her for 37 years of course some great pictures and videos, we were exchanging, but I was coming in hot, and there she was standing there with her heels on and black sexy dress I hit the lottery, we got married in about a year after my arrival, that’s about 10 years ago it’s never too late to live happily ever after, it’s a amazing Great love story you would think, it’s actually a chapter in my book “Key West the way it was” which by the way has been selling all over Key West for two years now, if you want to know where to pick it up or know more about it just send me a text 908-361-5606, I answer all texts with a phone call if you like and yes, I will try to sell you one with a special treat with it. I’m giving out it’s a large format negative from the 50s or 60s as a book marker 4 x 5“ and get ready for my second and third book, Confessions of a mind reader, you know this story about my great uncle Salvador Terracina booked as a worlds youngest mind, reader, hypnotist, and the guy who made all those crazy masks that are possessed I’m actually doing this post in the mask room. They’re giving me the look. And the book on that we’re also working on right now is the life that Sal and I lived in New York City that would be called “New York the way it was”  i’m writing this long post because I’m stressed because of this Nick game I apologize for all the bragging. It’s the only way I could explain what happened and what’s going on also, I’m an Italian guy from Elizabeth New Jersey. We all brag. We can’t help it. It’s in our blood. It’s an annoying Italian thing. But we actually love it. Damn these Gummies are wicked tonight. 

06/09/2026

Vince is the man he brought Lisa and I on a tour of two of the treasure salvage boats even the one that Lisa worked on as the cook they’re out over there by the Hogfish Grill if you’re looking for an incredible seafood, lunch or dinner on the water,  the Hog Fish Grill is the place and of course you could pick my book up there  “Key West the way it was” or of course I could send you one just text me 908 361 5606

06/08/2026

06/08/2026

Story and video by Keith Terracina two things yes I know it’s AI because I told my technician to do it, and number two this pertains to Key West. This mask right here Miss Sarah my great uncle Sal created her way back 90 years ago in his New York studio, She’s in mint condition. She spent a lot of time above Captain Tony’s Saloon she was one of the first original mascots above my grandfather‘s bar in Sals mask photography studio, not only do I remember her back in the very early 60s when I got my school pictures taken back when I was eight years old in Sal‘s New York studio I became quite familiar with her back in the mid 70s when I started working at the bar and then about 25 years ago, I inherited her and her 85 brothers and sisters and she has been in my studio in New York New Jersey Way back 20 years ago now she’s retired in our mask room with a bunch of her brothers and sisters, she’s one of the masks that Sal created with his special mixture of Haitian voodoo, dust, and pyramid scraping from Egypt mixed into her papier-mâché yes her and her brother and sisters are possessed kind of in a good way, it depends on what they think of you, i actually did this post from our mask room two months ago, I like showing it again. I grew up with all these masks for me to see one come alive. It’s pretty exciting and of course she’s in my book. “Key West the way it was” i’ll just say this back through the 60s and late 70s there was some crazy mask photography parties going on above Captain Tony’s Saloon I know firsthand I was up there

06/08/2026

Sorry for advertising my New York page on my Key West page but just like my book “Key West the way it was” we’re coming out with my next book “New York the way it was” featuring my great uncle Salvador’s images he took in New York City as far back as the mid 30s and then my life in New York covering the 30 years. I spent there 1986 through 2016. I also did a lot of photography in New York in the late 70s when I was on vacation from Key West hanging out in Times Square love that place back then, if you think our life was wild in Key West check out this New York page and if you wanna see one of my main New York site that’s been up for 24 years. Check it out 12 wild categories PortraitsofNewYork.com

06/08/2026

Good morning if you ever get the opportunity to spend the night out at sea on a sailboat, or any kind of boat, make sure you’re definitely up at sunrise the wind and the air change right before your eyes and ears, it’s kind of a spiritual thing out at sea when the sun goes up or down, Whenever I was on a fishing trip or pulling lobster and Stone crab traps on three day trips, I would always dive in the ocean at sunrise it was like some type of spiritual experience anyway everybody have a good Monday and my words of wisdom is all the things you have planned for this week that are errands or little projects or things you have to do try to squeeze them all in on Monday this way when you wake up Tuesday,  you won’t be thinking of all the things you have to do because you did them all on Monday the rest of your week goes by so smooth right now I have a half a dozen things that has to be done. That’s what I’ll be doing the rest of the day after my triple Ethiopian espresso with a tablespoon of the new mushroom mix I might kick it up with a little and I mean little piece of these wicked Gummies just for some creativity today