SEGMENT 1: The Early Years

The story of Rex Marine Center begins long before the first boat was ever sold.

Our founder, Louis J. Gardella, was born on May 3, 1905 in Haverhill, Massachusetts. His family roots trace back to Roccatagliata, Italy; a small mountain village about 25 miles northeast of Genoa. Even today, photos of the village suggest a place largely unchanged from centuries past.

Around 1910, Lou’s family moved to Norwalk, Connecticut. His parents, John and Columba Gardella, opened a produce and grocery market on Main Avenue, where Lou worked alongside his father from a young age.

Lou attended St. Mary School and later Center School on West Avenue, though family stories suggest he left school after the eighth grade.

By age 16, Lou had already begun chasing adventure. In 1921 he signed on with United States Shipping and went to sea, fulfilling what he later described as a boyhood dream.

When he returned in 1922, Lou took a factory job in Norwalk earning sixteen cents an hour.

But the water continued to call.

Much of Lou’s youth was spent exploring the waters around Norwalk Harbor. Through his friendship with Thorsten Stabell, owner of Sheffield Island and the historic lighthouse property, Lou and the Stabell boys spent countless days traveling between shore and island in a small boat, exploring the harbor and surrounding waters.

These early experiences deepened Lou’s lifelong connection to Long Island Sound.

He was also an accomplished swimmer. In 1928, Lou finished second in a race from Calf Pasture Beach to Peck Ledge Lighthouse and back. The following year, he became the City of Norwalk swimming champion.

Around 1930, Lou purchased his first small sailboat, further strengthening what would become a lifelong passion for boating.

Around the same time, Lou met Beryl Norman, who had moved to the Norwalk area from England as a young child. The two married around 1930, beginning a partnership that would shape the future of the Gardella family and their businesses.

Together they raised five sons — John, Louis, Jim, Tom, and Bill — all of whom would eventually work alongside their father.

Beryl would play an essential role in the family businesses that followed.

But before Rex Marine ever existed, Lou Gardella had to build something else first.

Segment 2: The Trucking Business that Made it All Possible.