M MORGAN ’’ S COVE - WHERE TRE ASURES ABOUN D
by Jordan Rosenfeld and Dan Craig Photos by Will Sundquist
W hen Rich Firato and his wife Julie moved into their new Morgan Hill home in 2000 , they had no idea a fun little pirate-themed landscaping idea would take on a life of its own . Since then , not only did Rich and Julie turn their backyard into “ Morgan ’ s Cove ,” a treasure-filled shipyard with a real Spanish Galleon , they penned several books based off their pirate characters , including the latest , Dartanian the Dreamer , written by Julie ( under her pen name , JM Firato ). The cove also caught the attention of film and television icon Jeff Goldblum , who visited in May 2021 to tape for an episode of The World According to Jeff Goldblum .
The show , produced by National Geographic Partners for The Walt Disney Company , premiered on January 19 , 2022 . Firato realized just how popular his cove had become when he received a call in March 2020 from NatGeo saying they were interested in doing a spot about Morgan ’ s Cove for an episode of Goldblum ’ s show . A testament to the realistic nature of his pirate world is how Goldblum and his film crew first reacted to Morgan ’ s Cove . “ It blew their minds .” Firato said the cove “ looked like a Hollywood movie set .” The one-day shoot lasted twelve hours .
According to Firato , the Disney spot is the culmination of a high seas adventure that began in 2000 when he purchased his home on a one-acre lot off Hill Road in east Morgan Hill . He and his wife , Julie , were trying to figure what to do with the spacious , undeveloped back yard of their new home when the inspiration for a pirate ’ s cove came from an unlikely source : a worker from the crew rehabbing their kitchen .
“ This guy had long hair , an earring with a hook and a necklace of teeth around his neck ,” Firato said , recalling he looked like a 17th century buccaneer . The worker , Doug Penn ( affectionately known as “ Fisherman ” Doug ), told Firato he envisioned a pirate ’ s cove and sold him on the idea .
“ I just said , let ’ s do it .” ( continued ...)
MAIN IMAGE : Rich Firato stands atop the pirate ship “ Lady Morgan .” Rich and wife Julie have transformed their East Morgan Hill property into a pirate themed wonderland complete with the ship . The Firato backyard is the subject of the Disney produced “ The World According to Jeff Goldblum ” episode that premiered on Disney Plus on Jan 19 2022 .
LEFT : The Good Pirate Rich and Crew dedicated and christened Morgan ’ s Cove , carving their promise to always preserve and improve the property so all who enter can “ dream freely and with an open heart , follow their passion and stay true to one ’ s self .”
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