Jimmy Prince is new CIHP "Distinguished Historian"

Jimmy Prince in his Mermaid Avenue shop with CIHP Executive Director Charles Denson

When Jimmy Prince retires at the end of February after 60 years at Mermaid Avenue's beloved Major's Market, he is moving on to two new jobs. The Coney Island History Project is pleased to announce that Mr. Prince has accepted the appointment as "distinguished historian." Chosen for his exceptional ability and knowledge of "Talking History," which is another name for "oral history," Mr. Prince will work this season at the History Project's exhibition center under the Cyclone roller coaster, sharing his Coney Island memories with visitors.

Mr. Prince is also the star of a new documentary by Charles Denson, author of Coney Island Lost and Found, which will premiere this summer. Mr. Denson has been filming the documentary about Mr. Prince and his customers for the past three years. The film is based on more than 60 hours of raw footage.

Jimmy Prince began working at Major's Market as a young man in 1949 and became the shop's proprietor in the 1970's. The storefront is emblazoned with signs that say "Coney Island is Coming back Folks, Let's Watch it Grow!" and "It's Major's for your Barbeque Specials." Founded in 1932, Coney Island's oldest butcher shop is a throwback to the days when the entire length of Mermaid Avenue, from Stillwell Avenue to Sea Gate, was a bustling retail strip serving a predominantly Jewish and Italian population. The shop was one of the few survivors the neighborhood's downturn in the 1960's and 70's, and, later, the incursion of supermarkets.

One of the audios in the History Project's online oral history archive is an interview with Jimmy. A second recording captures the sounds of a typical day at Major Markets.

The Coney Island History Project's exhibition center is located in a former souvenir store below the world-famous Cyclone roller coaster on Surf Avenue near West 10th Street. It is open weekends Memorial Day through Labor Day. Admission is free. For more information email info@coneyislandhistory.org