Steve Elario, a broker as well known for his sales and charter expertise as his love of hockey, died unexpectedly on September 4. He was 67 years old.
Elario was born on July 19, 1958 in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Although his early life experiences remain unknown, he moved to Florida and became a deckhand in 1979. For the next two decades, he worked aboard yachts cruising around the world, including in Europe and the South Pacific. All the while, Elario gradually rose through the ranks to become a captain. In fact, he took the helm of superyachts to 204 feet (62 meters).
In 1999, Elario did what many captains and crew do after years at sea, choosing a land-based job. Still enthusiastic about yachting, he launched what became a 26-year career as a sales and charter broker in Florida. At the time of his death, he worked for Northrop & Johnson, whose team he joined in 2017.
Colleagues at Northrop & Johnson say that while his understanding of yachts was significant, so, too, was his optimism and sincerity. Additionally, they fondly say he called them, and others he met, “friend.” “It’s likely that he may be the only person I’ve ever known who truly meant it… every time,” says Cromwell Littlejohn, Northrop & Johnson’s president and CCO.
Elario’s passion for yachting had perhaps one equal: his love for the Florida Panthers NHL team. In fact, he was instrumental in forging a sponsorship agreement between Y.CO and the Panthers a decade ago. Thanks to his friendship with team owner Vinnie Viola, he arranged for the sales and charter brokers to host events in the VIP area. A fixture at home games before and well after that, Elario earned a nickname from fellow fans. They called him the Ric Flair of the Panthers due to his resemblance to the famed wrestler. Just as Flair did in his time, Elario enjoyed chanting “Wooo!” at games, and fans greeted him with it wherever he went. From getting to know the camera crew to being on ice when the Panthers won the Stanley Cup earlier this year, he was practically part of the team.
A father and a grandfather, Elario had been planning to attend the upcoming Monaco Yacht Show when he died. Northrop & Johnson issued a statement calling him “a true professional and an even better human being.”
A celebration of life ceremony will be held at a later date.