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Mario Puretic (1917-1993, born in Croatia in the town of Sumartin on the island of Brac; his true name was Mario Puratic), revolutionarized the technology of pulling out fishing nets from the sea by his construction of what is now known as the Puretic Power Block in 1950s. Until then fishing nets had to be manually drawn by eight to ten people, which was an extremely difficult job. The Marco Seattle company developed Puretic’s idea, and it soon became a standard mean of fishing in the whole world. In 1975 the United States Patent Office conferred him a special recognition for his patent which revolutionarized the fishing technology worldwide. He was elected among hundred greatest inventors of the 20th century in the USA.

Mario Puratić with his power block, 
among mariners often named simply as “Puretić”

Variants of the Puretic power block
source: FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization, UN)

In 1972 the National Bank of Canada issued a new series of 5 dollar banknotes with the Puretic Power Block on a fishing boat drawn on the reverse side! See here:

Source: Old Salts – The Falkusa and Croatian Tourism,
at www.lifejacketadventures.com

When Mario Puretic died, his remains were brought from the USA to his native town of Sumartin in 1994. He was an honorary citizen of many countries, including Island (many thanks to Ms Nena Kazulin, USA, for this information).

For more details see

• Adam Eterovic: Mario Puretic, the King of Purse Seine Fishing
• Mario Puratic (in Croatian)

From Marco Seattle web site: No single invention has contributed more to the success of purse seine net hauling than Marco’s extensive line of Power Blocks. First introduced in the 1950’s the Puretic Power Block line became the linch-pin in the mechanization of purse seining. Combined with fluid hydraulic power technology and new large synthetic nets, it changed the whole character of purse seine fishing. From those early days the Marco Power Block has undergone many design improvements to provide the widest available range of sizes and power options to match changing requirements.

Inscription on the grave of Mario Puratić in his native town of Sumartin (= St. Martin) on the island of Brač, Croatia.
This photo and the three photos below by Mr. Slavko Štambuk.

MARIO PURATIĆ
1904 – 1903

ALLEVIATED THE LIFE OF MARINERS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
BY HIS PURETIC POWER BLOCK.
HE LIVED FOR A LONG TIME IN THE USA,
HOMESICKED FOR  HIS NATIVE LAND.

REST IN GOD’S PEACE

MIRJANA I JAKOV MAMIĆ

The birth house of Mario Puratić

Mario Puratić, born on the island of Brač, Croatia, in the town of Sumartin

Ribarski uredaj PURETIC POWER BLOCK je namijenjen za izvlacenje i prikupljanje mreze na ribarskim brodovima.

Jakov Kuljus and Ivan Dellaitti produced the first acetylene lamps for night fishing; Petar Dragic, the purse seine net, the precursor of today’s monster nets; Mario Puratic, the power block, essential equipment on any fishing boat; Ante Nizetic nylon nets, to replace those made with cotton; John Resic, the spray system to freeze fish. They also revolutionized fish processing with Martin Bogdanovic building the world’s largest tuna annery, Star Kist and Nikola Bezmalinovic, the first American floating fish factories. Paul Martinis was proclaimed the king of Alaskan salmon fishing by President Eisenhower. … Source: www.lifejacketadventures.com