Martin Z. Mollusk makes his prediction
OCEAN CITY — There were no disco balls nor any falsetto singing, but it did feel like the ’70s last week in America’s Greatest Family Resort.
Under brooding skies and amid breezy winds and below-average temperatures, Ocean City celebrated Martin Z. Mollusk Day on May 3, when the celebrity hermit crab not surprisingly saw his shadow for the 51st consecutive year and predicted a week-early start to summer 2024.
But it certainly didn’t feel like summer, nor even spring. It felt a lot like the temperature that Mr. Mollusk had complained about before getting the event moved from March, like back in the old days of large collars and bell-bottom jeans.
City officials, including Councilman Terry Crowley and Michael Allegretto, aide to Mayor Jay Gillian, were excited to get the summer season started with yet another fun-filled kickoff event.
“It’s Martin Z. Mollusk Day; it doesn’t get any bigger than this,” Allegretto proclaimed.
Asked whether Martin would be able to see his shadow under the saturated skies, Allegretto said a flashlight would be handy in case it was needed.
A line of 3- to 5-year-olds from the city’s Little Rec’ers program had a front-row seat to the event. The ceremony opened with the Sweet Adelines of the Cape Shore Chorus singing the national anthem.
A band from String Band Novelties struck up a commencement tune as emcee meteorologist “Nor’easter” Nick Pittman, an EMT with the Ocean City Fire Department and royal ambassadors Miss Ocean City Lola DiMarco and Junior Miss Ocean City Sarah Avellino — along with mascots Martin Z. and Molly Mollusk — escorted the hermit crab to the ring of honor.
Pittman started his forecasting career more than two decades ago, landing his first job at TV 40 when he was just 17 years old.
“Nor’easter Nick prides himself on having fun with his work and he likes to make people laugh while keeping people aware, which makes him perfect for Martin Z. Mollusk Day,” Allegretto said.
Pittman said the event is one of his all-time favorites at the shore because “everybody is happy here in Ocean City.”
He apologized for the weather, blaming Philly meteorologists at 6ABC.
“I had nothing to do with this,” he said.
“This is a very special day because we start summer earlier here in Ocean City than everywhere else in the entire world. How special is that? Martin and Molly are here to usher in the new season,” Pittman said.
He shared some little-known facts about Martin.
“The first Martin Z. Mollusk Day was March 13, 1975, but it was so foggy — imagine that, foggy and dingy at the shore in March — that Martin complained about the foul weather and the date was moved to May,” Pittman said.
Martin’s middle name is Zambezi “after the river that he lived at growing up in the bayou.”
He met the love of his life, Molly, at Crustacean U and it was love at first sight.
Martin studied meteorology while at school and married Molly in 1975 on the 10th Street beach.
“The lovely couple spends half the year in Ocean City and the other half in the tepid swamp while visiting Molly’s family,” Pittman said.
The big moment was coming up, but not before Nor’easter Nick delivered his forecast.
He said a lot of people ask him how he comes up with the forecast.
“I wake up in the morning and reach for my Magic 8 Ball under my bed and I shake it up real good and ask it if it is going to rain today, and if it says ‘try again’ it’s like a 50 percent chance,” he said, asking the crowd not to tell anyone his method.
Pittman then delivered his forecast, saying he wished he had better news. He said it was going to be cloudy and cool over the weekend and then as the workweek arrived, in typical southern New Jersey fashion, it would get nice again, with temperatures in the 70s and 80s.
But Martin was not happy with that forecast, and came up with his own calling for sunny weather every day.
Nick then asked Martin how he was feeling, to which he replied “crabby.”
The EMT was then called upon to check the celebrity crustacean’s vital signs.
“Heart rate is good!”
“Do you have the apparatus to check his blood pressure?” Pittman asked.
“Blood pressure is good!” the EMT proclaimed. “Shell is good!”
“This means, it’s time to ask him if he saw it his shadow,” Pittman said, calling on Allegretto to “talk to him in ‘crabease.’”
Out came the flashlight, and then, “He sees his shadow!”
“Summer is coming early to Ocean City!” Pittman proclaimed.
Sharyn and David Flaherty, who spend their time between their home in the Southend and West Chester, Pa., were attending their very first Martin Z. Mollusk Day.
“It was really fun,” Sharyn said. “We love it.”
She said it’s exciting that summer is coming a week early and noted they would be on the island to celebrate.
“I learned today that Martin and Molly got married the same year we did,” she said.
The royal ambassadors, who start their reign at the end of summer but really kick into gear as spring arrives, were pleased to be taking part in the iconic event. They will spend their year attending events such as this and the upcoming Unlocking of the Ocean/Businesspersons Plunge (noon May 24 at Moorlyn Terrace beach), as well as Wacky Wednesday events all summer at the Music Pier.
“I think it’s a super-fun twist on Groundhog Day and it’s super-unique and I think it’s a great tradition,” DiMarco said.
“I’m really excited and can’t wait to have a lot of fun this summer,” Avellino said.
The Sweet Adelines then wrapped up the event by singing Martin’s theme song.
Betsy O’Shea, with the quartet, said they enjoy participating.
“It’s quite the classic event. It’s fun, the kids are fun. They are adorable. We are happy to be here,” she said.
The chorus rehearses in Upper Township but has members from Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland counties.
“It’s a good way to start off the season, even though it’s cold today,” another member of the quartet said.
– STORY by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
