Long Island Aquarium owner James Bissett was found dead in his car Wednesday night at a Mattituck Park.
Bissett, 48, was found by a Southold Town police officer during a routine patrol at around 6 p.m. at Veteran’s Park on Peconic Bay Boulevard. The cause of death is being investigated by Southold detectives and the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The Mattituck resident was the co-founder and co-owner of the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center and the Hyatt Place East End Hotel. He also opened Treasure Cove Resort Marina, located next to the aquarium on the Peconic Bay.
His family owns Bissett Nursery, a large wholesale company for those in the landscaping business. The original nursery is in Holtsville, and the family recently opened a second location in Dix Hills.
The aquarium was conceived by Bissett and Joe Petrocelli with the intention that it would revive downtown Riverhead. It opened as Atlantis Marine World in June 2000.
The name was changed to the Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition center on July 1 after undergoing a $24 million expansion that included the 100-room hotel and a 5,000 square-foot exhibition center.
“No words can adequately express our sadness at Mr. Bissett’s death or our gratitude for the opportunity to work with him,” the aquarium said in an official statement. “We will honor his memory by dedicating ourselves to continuing the work he loved so much.”
