Knot Your Average Boat:

The Legendary 1929 Classic Chris-Craft

    To say that "Socks" is legendary is an understatement. Several legends are entwined in this boat's long history. The 1929 Chris-Craft Commuter was Chris-Craft's first commuter cruiser, a luxurious 38-foot mahogany-on-oak yacht designed for stylish commuting in the Roaring Twenties. It was built for wealthy New Yorkers and was affectionately nicknamed the "Queen of the Fleet" for its elegance. Key features of the original boat included seating for 12, dual helm stations, and a cabin with sleeping bunks, a small galley, and a head. Chris-Craft built 50 Commuter 38s in 1929. An estimated 5 of the 50 are believed to exist still. You can ride in the luxurious style of the 1920s on one of these five boats right here on the South Shore of the Albemarle Sound at Mackey's Marina.

    Christopher Columbus Smith lived in the small town of Algonac, Michigan. He built his first boat at the age of 13 in 1874. This early boat was a wooden hunting skiff. Chris joined his brother, Hank, in 1881 to start producing boats full-time. In 1924, the company, by then known as Chris-Craft, was officially launched as a brand. The 1929 Commuter is considered a masterpiece of wood yacht design and a testament to the craftsmanship of the era.

    This 1929 Chris-Craft, now owned by Job and Lydia Fulton, was once owned by Joseph "Socks" Lanza, a notorious New York mobster and a high-ranking member of the Genovese crime family. Joseph Lanza earned the nickname "Socks" because of his mighty fists, which he used to "sock" enemies into unconsciousness. He controlled the Fulton Fish Market through his position as head of Local 359 of the United Seafood Workers Union. The racket generated millions of dollars by extorting fish wholesalers and manipulating supply lines.         Joseph "Socks" Lanza was one of the most powerful labor racketeers in American history. During World War II, the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence enlisted Lanza's assistance in a secret alliance known as "Operation Underworld." Lanza used his influence on the docks to help monitor for Nazi sabotage. Lanza was convicted of labor racketeering in 1938 and again for extortion in 1943, for which he was sentenced to over seven years in prison. Despite serving time in prison, he regained control of the fish market upon his release and remained a prominent figure until his death in 1968.

    During "Socks" home portage in New York, Many celebrities and powerful men rode aboard this very boat, including President John F. Kennedy, baseball legend Joe DiMaggio, and the girl who stole everyone's heart, the actress Marilynn Monroe.

The boat is currently undergoing some minor restoration. However, soon Mackey's Marina will offer chartered cruises on the Albemarle Sound, complete with bourbon, cigars, and various edible delicacies, in the historic tradition of the "Roaring Twenties." Visit Mackey's Marina and go for a cruise in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the elegance of a bygone era on a truly legendary boat.