In 1942, Martel was appointed to a position with the
United States Customs Service in Boston. In 1947 he was named Deputy Collector of Customs in charge of the Port of
Gloucester, Massachusetts. During his tenure in Gloucester, the port became the largest importer of fish in the United States, with more than 300 ships arriving yearly. In 1959, the port collected a record $1.5 million in customs duties. Martel retired from the Customs Service on December 21, 1963. ==Later life and death==