He was a relatively successful businessman -- a tradesman, heartily plying his craft with a small fleet of fishing boats that he shared with his brother and his friends. He knew the sea, his boats, his friends, his family -- and as a God-fearing Jewish man, he knew his religion. But religion was more for the formative years. It was for his wife and his children. It's not that he didn't believe, but he was a busy man, trying to earn an honest living and put bread on the table.