The Quester Submarine

Amid the broken pilings of Coney Island Creek rests a strange sight—the partially-submerged wreck of a submarine, its corroded conning tower visible above the water's surface like a relic from a Jules Verne novel. Called the Quester I, this derelict craft was built in the late sixties by a local shipyard worker named Jerry Bianco. Its purpose was to salvage the remains of an Italian luxury liner, the Andrea Doria, that sunk off the coast of Nantucket in 1956 after colliding with a smaller passenger liner. Rumors of untold valuables aboard quickly circulated but the location of the wreck made conditions especially hazardous for divers.

And that's where Bianco comes in. He built the 45-foot craft from salvaged metal and coated it with yellow chromium which happened to be the cheapest paint available, thus unintentionally referencing a certain Beatles song.

The Quester was launched in 1970 using a crane, but problems with ballast caused the sub to tip sideways and become lodged in the mud. For years Bianco tried to convince locals to chip in enough money to have the submarine raised, but ultimately he was forced to abandon the project. The submarine was left with its hull jutting out of the creek as a unique local landmark, one which fishermen have been known to use on occasion as a pier.



Incidentally, the vault of the Andrea Doria was opened on live television in 1984. Among its contents was found an assortment of traveler's checks and bank notes, but nary a sign of treasure.