For 42 years, Duke Fishman worked every summer as a lifeguard on Avalon’s beaches, and was well-known for strolling barefoot along the town’s Front Street, wearing little more than a skin-tight swimsuit and a Captain’s cap cocked jauntily on his head.  He eventually became known as the “Duke of Catalina”.

Settling in Glendale, California, Wayne received his distinctive nickname "Duke" while living there. He had a dog by that name, and he spent so much time with his pet that the pair became known as "Little Duke" and "Big Duke".

I remember both well as a kid while spending summers at Catalina. John Wayne had a converted WWII PT boat called the "Golden Goose" and it was fast! John was an avid fisherman and in the summers then, very large swordfish and tuna were abundant. And of couse, there was only one lifeguard on the beach and one would see him every day working, and with his free time, walking around without a top.