About the Life of
Mr. and Mrs. Daniel P. Alario, Sr.

            Daniel P. Alario, Sr., was born to Antoine and Adeline Matherne Alario on August 18, 1936, at the home of his Uncle Jessie and Aunt Ella Matherne at 652 Avenue A in Westwego, Louisiana.  He was raised on the west bank of the Westwego Company Canal (which no longer exists as it was filled-in in 1965) in a duplex at 244 Louisiana Street, then at the age of six his family moved to a duplex at 894 Avenue A.  Daniel grew up on the South side of the railroad tracks and remembers hearing people call him and his friends “swamp rats.” He fondly remembers his childhood days in the “unofficial” playgrounds of the swamps and Bayou Segnette, where he spent much time catching crawfish, alligators, turtles, and snakes, hunting birds, deer, duck, and rabbits, picking moss, trapping for furs, and, of course, shrimping and fishing.  He and his boyhood friends played Tarzan in the deep, dense forests of Westwego, which they called “Dark Africa.”  After the Westwego park was built the boys learned to play baseball, football, and even cards under the trees. 

            Daniel attended Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic School through the sixth grade, and then transferred to Westwego High School, where he played football for four years under coach Lou Blanda.  He graduated in 1954, and he attended Delgado College for two years, where he studied mechanical drafting. 

            His family were commercial fisherman—they trawled for shrimp and fish with Trammel nets.  In 1948, the family decided to sell their two boats, The Alert and The Alario Bros, so they could buy a seafood and live chicken business at 430 Sala Avenue.  Daniel’s paternal grandfather Tom Alario, Sr., and his uncles, Tom Jr., John Sr., Lionel, and Sal, were all involved in the business.  Daniel worked there, cleaning fish, chickens, and crabs, while going to school.  He also worked at the family restaurant, the Pecan Grove Tavern, on the corner of Bridge City Avenue (LA 18) and Oak St. in Pecan Grove.  

            At the age of 19, Daniel married his childhood sweetheart, Zenobia “Bebe” Rebstock, from across the tracks.  The family raised their duplex house at 894 Avenue A in the late 1950s and opened Alario Brothers, a commercial fishing supply business on the bottom floor.  There they sold marine hardware, shrimp and fish webbing (netting),  trawls for catching shrimp and gill net for catching fish.  Daniel bought stock in the business, but went to work at Avondale when the company fell on hard times.  He worked there for many years, first as a timekeeper and later as a dry dock master, and in 1976, he returned to Alario Brothers, and after his father and uncles passed away, he became the sole owner of the company. 

            Today, Daniel Alario’s two daughters, Eva Alario Corcoran and Kathy Alario Choquette, run the business.  Daniel’s sister Barbara Alario Ballas works there on a part-time basis.  In addition to his two daughters, Daniel is the father of one son, Daniel Alario, Jr., who is a tug boat captain on the Mississippi River.  Besides his sister Barbara, Daniel had a brother, Robert Alario, Sr., who passed away, and his brother Ernie Alario lives in Marrero, Louisiana.

            Mrs. Alario was born on May 13, 1937.  Her mother, Margaret Stokes Rebstock, died while giving birth to Bebe.  Her father, Harris Rebstock, who had one job at Woodward Wright in New Orleans, resided at 214 Second Street in Westwego, Louisiana.  BeBe has a sister, Hazel Rebstock Dewey.  She also has an aunt who is living, Carrie Rebstock Morales, and another aunt, Angelic Rebstock Cheramie, is deceased.  BeBe was raised by her grandmother, Eva Martin Rebstock, who passed away.  BeBe spent many summers at the home of her two aunts, Hazel Stokes and Mammie Stokes, who lived on Oak Street in New Orleans; both are now deceased.  Her aunts owned a camp called Chick-a-Dee in Little Woods which was a group of camps on the Southeastern shore of Lake Pontchartrain.  She remembers catching softshell crabs with her little net in the bushes along the banks.  BeBe went to dancing school for many years at Lea Brandon dancing school off Webster Street and St. Charles St.  She danced in many carnival balls in New Orleans.  In order for BeBe to go to dancing school, she first had to catch a bus in Westwego to Gretna, and then had to cross the Mississippi River on the ferry to catch another bus in New Orleans and then walk to the school.  She did all of this at the age of 15. 

            Daniel and BeBe were childhood sweethearts.  BeBe graduated from Westwego High School in 1955 and the couple married shortly after, on June 26.  After marrying, Daniel worked at Alario Brothers Seafood and Chicken Store on Sala Avenue, making fifty dollars a week.  Daniel and BeBe lived in a house with her father and grandmother for about seven years.  They purchased a lot and built a house at 502 Second Street and still live there today, thanks to their good friend Spellman “Poochie” Pellerin who built the house for them.  Mr. Pellerin was Daniel’s childhood best friend.  He passed on in 1980.    

1. Kathy Alario Choquette
2. Daniel Alario, Jr.
3. Eve Alario Corcoran

1. Jacques Choquette
2. Kathryn Choquette

1. Daniel Alario, III 
2. Jennifer Alario
3. Jonathan Alario
4. David Alario

1. Mike Corcoran, Jr.
2. Benjamin Corcoran
3. Jack Corcoran

 Alario Brother’s Commercial Fishing
& Marine Supplies, Inc.

894 Avenue A
Westwego, LA 70094
Phone (504) 341-1843

Fax (504) 347-8339

Westwego, From Cheniere to Canal  -  Paperback $25

Westwego Remembered  - Hardback $25

Westwego Salutes the Military - Hardback $25

Westwego Remembered II -  Expected Release 2006