Sandro Maniaci is one of the stars of Wicked Tuna. He is a licensed boat captain, though he has been a crew member on the FV Tuna.com (captained by Dave Carraro) for 11 years.
Sandro Maniaci’s net worth is estimated to be around $350,000, making him one of the richest Wicked Tuna cast members. Below is a detailed look at his wealth, including his salary and various other income sources.
Earnings from his TV career
Sandro Maniaci has enjoyed a successful TV career, appearing in several reality TV shows.
He was a main cast member of Wicked Tuna, appearing in 61 episodes between 2012 and 2021.
He also appeared on other Wicked Tuna spin-offs, including:
- Wicked Tuna: North vs. South – 17 episodes.
- Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks Showdown – 18 episodes.
- Wicked Tuna: Hooked Up – a re-cut version of the original Wicked Tuna, with trivia, behind-the-scenes information, and commentary by the cast.
A portion of Sandro Maniaci’s net worth is from his earnings for appearing in these TV shows.
While there is little information about how much he has earned from these TV shows, his Wicked Tuna salary is rumored to be around $100,000, making him one of the highest-paid stars.
Fishing income
Despite being popular for having appeared on Wicked Tuna and other TV shows, Sandro Maniaci is a commercial fisherman by trade. He grew up in a family that’s in the fishing business, with his dad, uncle, and aunt in the trade.
He started fishing at a young age for fun and had no intention of pursuing commercial fishing, instead opting to become an auto mechanic.
However, he met Dave Carraro, captain of FV-Tuna.com, by chance, and fishing stuck; he has worked on the crew of FV-Tuna.com for over 11 years now.
Maniaci, like most people in the commercial fishing business, earns income on a crew-share basis, where the profits from the catch are split among crew members based on their role.
Once a fish is caught, it is often sold to local restaurants or shipped to Japan, where it is sold at an auction.
Fish prices can vary, but the highly coveted bluefin tuna can fetch up to $47 per pound. And with some of the big tuna fish weighing up to 1,000 pounds or more, this means that boat crews can earn up to $47,000 per catch.
Unfortunately, fishing income is unstable – one of the reasons Maniaci was skeptical about commercial fishing. This is because crew members only get paid when they catch something, and commercial fishing, particularly for tuna, is a seasonal business.
Sandro Manici’s other sources of income
Sandro Maniaci’s net worth also comes from other sources of income, besides fishing and his TV career. Below is a look at these sources:
1. Fishing charters
Sandro Maniaci also earns an income from fishing charters via FV-Tuna.com. The boat crew offers inshore and offshore fishing charters in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with prices ranging from $1,700 to $ 2,400.
Like with other types of fishing income, boat crews earn money from fishing charters on a crew-share basis.
Additionally, according to the FV-Tuna.com website, the boat crew automatically retains any giant bluefin tuna caught during these charters, with the charter customer entitled to only 10% of the sale price after expenses.
2. Merchandise sales
Like many Wicked Tuna stars, Sandro Maniaci’s net worth can be credited to merchandise sales. The FV-Tuna.com crew members own an online merchandise store, Big Tuna Apparel.
The merchandise store sells a variety of clothing items, including men’s and women’s t-shirts and hoodies. It also sells accessories, such as hats and branded stickers.
Maniaci’s merchandise is also available on Wicked Tuna Gear, the official merchandise store for Wicked Tuna boat captains.
3. Brand promotions
As one of the most popular Wicked Tuna stars, Sandro Maniaci has amassed a substantial social media following. For example, he has over 21,000 followers on Instagram, over 13,000 on X, and 13,000 on Facebook.
Maniaci’s popularity and substantial social media following have made him an influencer, enabling him to earn income by promoting brands.
Several of Maniaci’s posts, especially on X and Instagram, feature him promoting various brands or products. Additionally, he uses his social media platforms to promote his Big Tuna Merchandise.
4. Event appearances and public speaking
Like many reality TV stars, Sandro Maniaci also earns an income through paid appearances at events and through public speaking gigs.
Maniaci (often accompanying Captain Dave Carraro) has been a regular presence at several events, particularly fishing-related ones.