The Big Dig Presents: Catching The Codfather

Episode 2: I Hope Those People Sink (February 18, 2026)

Host: Ian Coss
Produced by: GBH News

Overview

This gripping episode of Catching The Codfather dives into the dramatic labor battles and policy decisions that shaped New Bedford’s fishing industry and set the stage for Carlos “The Codfather” Rafael’s rise. Through personal recollections and rich archival detail, host Ian Coss explores the collapse of longstanding norms, the infamous fisherman’s strike of the 1980s, and the systems—economic, political, and personal—that Rafael would learn to exploit. The episode is a microcosm of the high-stakes, often brutal world where food, livelihood, and government collide.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The New Bedford Fish Auction – An Arena of Ruthlessness

• The Unique Auction Structure: In the early 1980s, New Bedford’s fish auction was a chaotic, numbers-driven scene where all species from all boats were bid on simultaneously, creating a high-stakes game of strategy.
  • Carlos Rafael credits his mathematical skill ("My godfather...banged my head on a blackboard...Today I got nothing but the thank 'em for making me that good with numbers." – 02:48)
  • Ian Coss explains Rafael’s tactics – reading competitor’s eyes, leveraging the auction’s convoluted rules to outbid or sabotage rivals (03:13–05:02).
• Memorable Quote:
  • "I could have not run anyone on that auction. I could bid him eight, nine bulls at a time by doing the metal. And my brain, like a computer, couldn't even do a deadfast." – Carlos Rafael (03:40)

2. Heritage, Identity, and the Loss of George’s Bank

• Rodney Avila, a fourth generation fisherman, describes fishing’s central role in his family identity and the profound sense of betrayal when historic fishing grounds were lost as a result of international boundary disputes.
  • "I didn't hate a lot of people, but I wasn't happy with our government really. Only because I figured they just threw the fishing industry away to Canada." – Rodney Avila (17:57)
• The Hague Line Ruling:
  • 1984’s international court decision split Georges Bank, devastating New Bedford's fleet and slashing revenues by up to 50%.
  • "We lost the best yellowtailing, we lost the best scalloping, we lost the best swordfish grounds. I would say we lost a good 40 to 50% of our revenue." – Rodney Avila (17:38)

3. Mounting Pressure: Economic Crisis and the Brewing Strike

• With lost fishing grounds and rising costs, a previously prosperous industry spiraled into crisis.
• John Bullard (then-mayor):
  • "So when you shrink the piece, when you overfish the resource, it puts everybody under strain...And at some point, it's going to blow." (20:03–20:35)
• The 1986 fishermen’s strike was triggered when boat owners demanded reducing the crew's share of catches from 58% to 50%, deepening tensions.

4. Union Power and Its Undoing

• Fishermen's union, once robust, enforced limits on catches and working conditions.
  • "If you didn't go by those regulations, you'd lose your crew to union boats." – Rodney Avila (26:02)
• The contentious leadership of Joe Paiva added volatility, and the strike quickly became fraught with violence, sabotage, and threats.
  • "It's a proud day...We are working people. We create with our hands...all we want is a fair shake." – Joe Paiva (29:52)

5. The Strike Escalates: Yellowbird Auction and Street Battles

• When negotiations stalled, fish dealers, excluded from the original city-run auction (run by the union), set up a private facility dubbed the Yellowbird Auction.
  • "The buyers were going to take control of the auction." – Harvey Mickelson (33:35)
• The Union responded with blockades, rocks were thrown, and violence escalated.
  • Carlos Rafael recalls barreling through picket lines in his car:
    "I saw the guy. They threw the rock. I went to him, I said, okay, which you date, I will not forget. And if you think you're going to scare me with a rock, it'll be the biggest mistake you ever made." (37:47)
  • Rafael began carrying a gun ("One of you steps in the front of my truck, I'm going to shoot you. And I mean it. Don't take this as a threat. This is a promise." – Carlos Rafael, 39:53)
• Fish dealers used creative—and sometimes risky—methods to evade strikers and get to the auction, including sneaking in via delivery vans (39:16).

6. Legal Maneuvers and the Weakness of Government Power

• Mayor Bullard tried to enforce a city ordinance requiring all fish sold at city piers to go through the public auction. But the judge who had written the ordinance himself declared it unconstitutional, leaving the law powerless.
  • "Judge Jacobs said, thanks for the call, Mayor. I know that ordinance very well, because before I was a judge, I was city solicitor. I actually wrote that ordinance. I said, no, Kidding...I know it's unconstitutional because I wrote it." (43:16)

7. Aftermath: The Undoing of the Union and Rise of the Codfather

• As boats began leaving the picket lines to fish in other ports or accept owner terms, the strike fizzled. Violence, slashed tires, and broken windows marked the fracturing of solidarity.
  • "It started as a trickle of boats leaving the harbor, then 10 all at once. Then another 10. One striking fisherman told the local paper, I hope those people sink." (49:27)
• By spring of 1986, the strike informally ended; the city-run auction never re-opened, and the union never recovered.
• Only two powers remained: the boat owners and the dealers—Carlos Rafael being both.
  • "Once again, and not for the last time, a crisis for the industry was an opportunity for Carlos." – Ian Coss (52:56)
  • "In days, I buy a quarter of a million pounds." – Carlos Rafael (53:04)
  • On his moniker: "'We don't have to start calling him the codfather.'...And the stupid shit stuck." – Carlos Rafael (53:27)

8. Legacy and The Role of Government

• The strike’s failure—despite the government’s attempt to intervene—deepened fishermen’s distrust of authority.
  • "Fishermen are anti government because fishermen are fiercely independent. That's why they go fishing." – John Bullard (50:57)
  • Recalling Reagan's famous line: “I think you all know that I've always felt the nine most terrifying words in the English language are, I'm from the government and I'm here to help." (51:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Carlos Rafael’s Auction Mastery:
  • “To deal in one of those auctions, you gotta be definitely good with numbers.” (02:32)
• On the Consequences of Policy:
  • “We lost everything... The best yellowtailing, scalloping, swordfish grounds.” – Rodney Avila (17:38)
• On Government Intervention:
  • “I said, judge, you're telling me you wrote an ordinance that you know is unconstitutional? Yes, I did. And so I'm going to throw that case out of court faster than you can just blink an eye at.” – John Bullard (43:44)
• Turning Crisis into Profit:
  • “Every time it's a crisis, that's when you make a lot of money.” – Carlos Rafael (38:36)
• On the Nature of Fishermen:
  • “Fishermen are anti government because fishermen are fiercely independent. That's why they go fishing.” – John Bullard (50:57)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening Auction Portrait: 01:03 – 05:39
• Generational Fishing Stories: 09:08 – 11:46
• Losing George’s Bank: 12:07 – 18:17
• Summarizing the Economic Squeeze: 19:32 – 20:45
• Beginnings of the Strike: 26:58 – 31:31
• Auction Shutdown & Dealer Tactics: 33:01 – 39:16
• Escalation, Violence, and Legal Fight: 39:53 – 43:44
• Collapse of the Strike and Union: 45:50 – 50:27
• Carlos Rafael’s Ascent: 52:56 – 53:49

Tone and Narrative Style

The storytelling is vibrant and fast-paced, mixing tension, humor, and empathy. The speakers’ voices—especially Carlos Rafael and Rodney Avila—come through with authenticity, from wry bitterness to pride and stubbornness. Ian Coss’s narration balances journalistic clarity with a sense of the drama, making complicated systems vivid and personal.

Conclusion

This episode lays bare the tangled systems and personalities behind New England’s historic fishing port—showing how loss, conflict, and government failure cleared the way for the dominance of figures like Carlos “The Codfather” Rafael. It’s a story of power vacuums, broken trust, and precarious survival, echoing far beyond the New Bedford docks.