Lorenzo, a lobster who is over 100 years old and weighing a whopping 10 pounds, was returned to the ocean by Peter’s Clam Bar restaurant in Hempstead, Long Island. The owner, Butch Yamali, in a symbolic gesture, decided to celebrate its longevity by releasing it on Father’s Day and National Lobster Day. For years, Lorenzo had been the club’s star attraction, but now she has “come home,” as supervisor Don Clavin also wrote, posting photos of his “retirement party.”
“Lorenzo has become part of our family,” Yamali recounted. “He had been with us for years, and many customers would come especially to see him and take a picture with him. He was like a pet.” He added, “Some lobsters don’t live that long, but this one did. Inspired by that, we realized the best way to celebrate Father’s Day was to release Lorenzo.”
The gesture continues a tradition already started by the restaurant, which in the past had also released Lenny, another giant lobster, carrying on a tradition of giving these ancient crustaceans a second chance at life.
Asked if Lorenzo will be missed, Yamali said, “We will miss him, but I think it’s for the best. If he had died here, it would have been very sad, and I would never have had the heart to sell him.”
