'Larry the Lobster' Receives Pardon From Hempstead Town Officials

One lucky lobster avoided becoming a meal earlier this month after he was pardoned by Hempstead Town officials.

In honor of National Lobster Month, the officials pardoned the life of an historic 130 year-old crustacean, the oldest lobster in captivity, known as Larry the Lobster in a ceremony last Wednesday.

“Our township’s seafaring nautical heritage has inspired me to spare the life of 'Larry the Lobster' and return him to the beautiful, peaceful waters from which he came,” Hempstead Town Supervisor Anthony Santino said.

Santino hosted the waterside ceremony at Peter’s Clam Bar in Island Park, along with Councilman Anthony D’Esposito, Town Clerk Nasrin Ahmad, Receiver of Taxes Don Clavin and the restaurant’s owner Butch Yamali.

The group released Larry, a 20 pound lobster who has lived in the fish tank at the popular Island Park restaurant for 30 years, back into the water near the restaurant.

Larry was handed to Department of Conservation and Waterways officials who escorted him by boat to the waters of the Atlantic Beach Reef for a ceremonial release.

“As most of the nation celebrates the culinary delights of lobster dishes, Hempstead Town decided to hold a more dignified and deserving tribute by preserving the life of our good friend ‘Larry’ who might have otherwise become a prominent ingredient in a chef’s favorite recipe,” Santino said. “Hopefully, Larry will enjoy a leisurely life as our local King of the Sea.”

Yamali chose to spare Larry the dreaded fate of a boiling pot and called on Santino to partner in a ceremonial pardon.

“I have grown up on the water and I am proud to own restaurants that celebrate our nautical heritage and serve the finest seafood, but today, I am happy to join Supervisor Santino as he pardons Larry the Lobster,” Yamali said.

Lobster harvesting makes up a large portion of the nation's $1.8 billion commercial fishing industry.

Three out of every four Americans say they enjoy a lobster dish at least once a month. Restaurant surveys on Long Island indicate lobster is one of the most popular items on the menu, particularly each spring and summer.

“When you live near the water and fishing is a prominent local industry, you come to respect our creatures of the sea,” D’Esposito said. “By saving Larry the Lobster’s life we are preserving a part of our nautical heritage while celebrating the beauty and bounty of town waterways."

Check out photos of Larry's release shared on social media below.