The brief glance of the tourist is certainly not able to distinguish the difference in the hierarchy of the gondoliers as they all seem the same behind their striped shirts.

At present, the licenced gondoliers number 425.

There are 100 subsitutes who, as their title indicates, work as substitutes for the licensed gondoliers more or less on a continuous basis: and there is also an unknown number of fiozzi which includes all those who aspire to enter the category.

Related to the gondoliers, for they too are barcarolles for hire, are the sandolisti who total 25 (19 licenced and 6 subsitutes), and who separated from their boats, cannot be distinguished from the gondoliers as they all use the same uniform.