A Lifeguard’s Lifeguard: Avalon’s Legendary Murray Wolf Looks Back on His 65-Year Career
Forty-five percent of all employees stay at their current position for less than two years, according to CareerBuilder.
Let us just say that Murray Wolf breaks lots of molds.
Wolf, 82, retired as captain of the Avalon Beach Patrol in December, after 65 years on the beach. That’s 70 years, if you count the time that he hung around the beach unofficially, with his father, who initiated the Wolf tradition of protecting Avalon’s beaches.
Superlatives, often overused in today’s world, sadly fall short as you search for any that aptly describe Wolf and his tenure. Mayor Martin Pagliughi probably summed it up best: “Simply put, there’s only one Murray Wolf, and we were extremely fortunate to have him as an important part of our public safety team.”
To that point, consider the flawless record of the Avalon Beach Patrol over that 65-to-70-year period: Despite what probably amounted to millions of swimmers in all types of weather, there was never a drowning while Avalon’s beaches were protected. An enviable record by any stretch.
The beach is obviously Avalon’s most valuable asset. And Wolf always treated it as such.
“Not having a drowning over that incredible period time was not by chance,” says Sandy Bosacco, a onetime Wolf lieutenant in Avalon who has served as captain of the Stone Harbor Beach Patrol for 25 years. “Murray has always taken the job very seriously. He effectively kept the job in perspective: Pay attention to bathers in the water, and guards staying in shape and being prepared.”
Wolf looks especially relaxed in a chair on a cold late-winter afternoon as he reflects on his life in Avalon and career on its beaches. “My goal was always the same: the safety of the people on the beaches,” he says. “That’s it. Bottom line.”
He went on to explain that philosophically, the way the Avalon Beach Patrol guarded the beaches on his watch was constantly evolving.
“It had to be,” Wolf says. “The conditions and the ocean change every day. And I believe that given the changes on the coastline and necessary beach-fill projects, that the beach is much different today than it was even 10 years ago. We adjust our guarding every day.”
He’s quick to point out that he’s had some critics along the way. “I realize that from time to time I might have ruffled some feathers. But my goal never changed – the safety of the people on Avalon’s beaches. At the end of the day, that’s what mattered.”
One very vocal critic over the past 20-plus years has been SportsRadio 94WIP personality Angelo Cataldi. The rift surfaced in 1999 after Cataldi was ejected from the beach for not having the required beach tag. Wolf, who has little time in his day for pop culture, had no idea at the time who Cataldi was. To Wolf, the popular Philadelphia radio host was just another guy on the beach, albeit one who refused to show tag inspectors a beach tag. So, when the conflict could not be resolved on the sand, Wolf chose not to intercede in the matter and one of his lieutenants, who coincidentally would go on to become a U.S. Attorney, ticketed Cataldi and removed him from the beach.
“I understand that Angelo likes to have fun with me on the air,” Wolf says with a smile. “I don’t have a problem with him. People tell me that he’s a funny guy. But, like anyone else, he needs a beach tag.”
Stan Bergman is not among the critics. Bergman is the longtime Ventnor City Beach Patrol chief who, as the University of Pennsylvania rowing coach, is a four-time Eastern Association of Rowing Colleges Coach of the Year.
“Murray Wolf did a great job in Avalon,” Bergman says. “That’s a big beach in Avalon with a lot of guards to oversee. He did an outstanding job and set the standard. He did a lot over the years for many, many young people. I admire Murray and the job that he did.”
Wolf helped found South Jersey Chiefs Association in 1968. His path has crossed with lots of peers over the years.
Insurance executive Sam Wierman, a former Stone Harbor Beach Patrol captain, perks up when Wolf is mentioned.
“I love Murray,” says Wierman, whose son Sam is an ABP alum and current Avalon Borough Council member. “Guys who have spent years and years with him have an immense amount of respect for him. With Murray, there are no surprises. You know what to expect. And over the years, the rowers in Avalon who trained under Murray have always amazed me.”
Ocean rowing: Mention that and Wolf magically lights up. “We also took pride in our competitions,” Wolf says, noting that there were benefits aside from keeping patrol members in top condition for their primary responsibility. Early in Wolf’s career, when marketing budgets simply didn’t exist for places like Avalon, then-Mayor Edgar Bell appreciated and sought the positive exposure that lifeguard competitions brought to the town. Wolf has never lost sight of that.
Championships: You can check that one off, too, in the broken-mold category. Under Wolf, the Avalon Beach Patrol achieved enormous success in South Jersey lifeguard competitions. Countless individual and team championships in the Margate Memorials, the Dutch Hoffmans, the Tri-Resorts, the Kerr Memorials and Atlantic City Invitational … and in the granddaddy of them all, the 97-year-old South Jersey Championships, the event by which all others are measured, Avalon has captured the coveted team championship nine times under Wolf. It is the only Cape May County patrol south of Ocean City to win a championship in the past quarter century.
“Our guys all work hard to stay in shape,” Wolf notes. “I’m obviously proud of all that they have accomplished.”
Although far from boastful, Wolf also is proud of what has been accomplished off the beach. Over the years, the Avalon Beach Patrol served not only as a “summer job,” but a place to learn life lessons through discipline and hard work. Under Wolf, there were no shortcuts. Sadly, there is no official count of the number of doctors, lawyers or financial planners who guarded Avalon’s beaches while studying for the bar exam or Medical College Admission Test. But even a partial list is impressive.
Just a few of the many who have managed success after hanging up their whistles:
Dr. Francis Sutter, a former South Jersey rowing champion under Wolf, is now chief of cardiac surgery at Main Line Health’s Lankenau Medical Center and a clinical professor of surgery at Jefferson Medical College.
John Glomb, another South Jersey rowing champion, is president and CEO of Philadelphia Insurance Companies.
Chris Craft, who owns Propulsion Media Labs in Malvern, Pa., a cutting-edge audio and video production facility, still has fond memories of his days on the Avalon’s beaches.
“My experiences as a lifeguard under Murray were inspiring,” Craft says. “Winning a South Jersey Lifeguard Championship meant far more to me about doing it for Murray and the patrol than it did for any personal reason. I had never had that under any other coach before. It was always about Avalon first and foremost, and that’s why it worked. That’s all because of Murray. It’s also 100% the reason why I now spend my summers back here in Avalon. Every single time I go to the beach now on 9th Street, I feel that deep connection to my days guarding and competing under Captain Murray Wolf.”
Parents are also appreciative of the lessons learned on Avalon’s beaches. “My son was a guard for two summers in Avalon,” added Robin Mackintosh, an Emmy winning reporter who’s had Avalon sand in his shoes since he was a teenager. “Having a job as a lifeguard is impressive to prospective employers. To prove it, he ended up working on a US Congressman’s staff and spent a year in the West Wing. Yes, THAT West Wing. Thank you Murray Wolf. “
Like a proud father, Wolf takes pride in everyone who has worn the ABP singlet. “There have been so many throughout the years,” he marvels. “Today they are fine individuals with great families, you have to be proud of that.”
Like so many Seven Mile Beachers, Wolf found his way to Avalon through a relative. His aunt had a home in Avalon, which brought him here as a newborn in 1938. Wolf’s uncle and his father, Murray Jr., were both members of the Avalon Beach Patrol. After several years of helping his dad on the beaches unofficially, Wolf joined the Avalon Beach Patrol officially as a rookie guard for the summer of 1955.
He first assumed the duties of captain in 1962. He’s been on the beach continuously since that rookie season, albeit with two brief hiatus seasons from Avalon as a result of labor negotiations. For those two seasons, he crossed the bridge and guarded in Sea Isle City. Avalon has been his home since 1965.
While off-duty in the winter months, Wolf spent more than five decades as a teacher and coach in the Pleasantville School District. He and his wife, Vicki, have three sons, Matt, Erich and Tyler, who all followed their father’s footsteps in the sand and are third-generation Wolf family members on the Avalon Beach Patrol.
Matt, a teacher and coach at Middle Township High School, recently received his master’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He will assume the new position as Beach Patrol Chief for the 2021 season.
Murray Wolf had considered hanging up his whistle before last summer, but two factors kept him from doing it: He wanted to go out on a winning note in Avalon’s Kerr Memorial Races; they had lost the annual competition that summer after winning eight consecutive years. On top of that, he felt a need to “step in” due to the challenges of COVID-19 last summer.
After his retirement announcement in December, state Sen. Chris Brown expressed his respect for Wolf’s record and accomplishments. Brown can relate, as the son of former Atlantic City Beach Patrol Chief Arthur Brown, and a former Atlantic City lifeguard himself.
“I sincerely applaud Murray’s 65 years of public service to the Avalon Beach Patrol,” Brown said. “That type of dedication in keeping families safe to the brother/sisterhood of lifeguarding is nothing short of amazing.”
Now, that Avalon has chosen Matt Wolf (as chief) and Ryan Black (as captain) to direct the future of the patrol, the elder Wolf is confident it is in good hands. “These guys are very capable and very smart,” he says. “They have some great ideas.”
With so many accomplishments and an amazing safety record, what legacy does Wolf hope to leave behind?
“I’d like to be remembered as a lifeguard’s lifeguard,” he says, after a moment of thought. “My job was the safety of the people on the beach.”
Indeed.