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Dear Mr. Coney Island...
I am a distant relative of M.C. Illions and was wondering where his original workshop was located. None of the relatives (including my father who was there) seem to remember. Thanks.
- Susan Illions Levine

Hello Susan,

The last Illions carousel factory was located in a wood frame building at 2836 West 8th Street near Surf Avenue, across from the old fire station and up the block from the Mangels factory. The entire block was razed in the late 1950s and is now occupied by the Luna Park Houses housing project.

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Comments

Submitted by Jeff Alterman (not verified) on Wed, 10/03/2012 - 09:03

Those horses appear to have been carved beautifully. I wonder if any of them still survive? I could just imagine what they would have looked like in full color.

Submitted by Susan Illions Miller (not verified) on Wed, 03/06/2013 - 22:01

Hello, MC Illions was my Great Grandfather. I think your site is awesome. Thru Facebook I have found that I have many East Coast relatives that I can't wait to meet.

Thank you so much for all you do.

Sue Illions Miller

Submitted by Danielle (not verified) on Sun, 01/06/2013 - 10:57

Hi, Susan -

I think it's wonderful that you're reaching out with this question about your ancestors - Marcus Illions and his sons were among the finest of the American carousel carvers. In fact, among his contemporaries he was called the "King of the American horse carvers". A family legacy to be proud of!

Submitted by Susan Illions Miller (not verified) on Thu, 03/07/2013 - 01:32

How awesome it just was listening to my Great Uncle Barney. Thank you
For sharing the podcast. Being the youngest Illions
On this side of the family I always love to hear any story that I can about my family.

Thanks again.
Sue

Submitted by Sharon Marie (not verified) on Mon, 01/07/2013 - 02:12

There was a wonderfully detailed audio interview with Barney Illions made by the Brooklyn Historical Society. You can access it as a podcast on Apple iTunes (it's podcast #67): https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/brooklyn-historical-society/id283168068

Submitted by PETER JOHN H SOKOLOW (not verified) on Tue, 09/25/2018 - 10:09

HELLOW MY NAME IS PETER JOHN H. SOKOLOW I AM TOLD THAT THE H. IS FOR HARRY ILLIONS M.C. ILLIONS ELDEST SON. I ALSO HAVE A HORSE AND SOME OTHER GARGOILS AND POSTERS IN THE FAMILY. I AM NOT IN MUCH CONTACT WITH MY MOM AND DAD TO KNOW THE FULL STORY OF WHAT KIND OF RELATIONS OUR FAMILT WAS CONNECTED TO THE ILLIONS. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN SHEEPSHEAD BAY BROOKLYN NY. MY GRAND MOTHERS NAME WAS ROSE CRANE AND HER 2 SONS BOB AND WILLIAM CRANE AND MY DAD IS PETER JOHN SOKOLOW. I WAS WONDERING IF SOMEONE COULD HELP ME FILL IN THE GAPS?

Submitted by Genevieve Bened... (not verified) on Sun, 12/17/2023 - 18:30

I’m your 1st cousin . Your Uncle Bills Crane’s daughter. I live in Phx . Now . Your a bit younger than me but I remember you . talked to your mom and dad about a year ago . They were doing well . My Dad died a few years ago . E mail me I ll see it eventually.

Submitted by Arlan Ettinger (not verified) on Tue, 02/17/2026 - 02:18

Hi: For nearly 50 years, I’ve presided over Guernsey’s, the NYC based auction house. Always interested in Coney Island, in our early days we were the firm that focused on “fairground art”, conducting auctions of rare posters, sideshow banners, shooting gallery artifacts, etc. In fact, when the complete C. I. Wax Museum was about to be destroyed, we were asked to sell it, providing Lillie St. Angelo (its owner) with funds to live out the rest of her life. Most notably, our real specialty had been carousels. Around 1980 - at a time when carousel figures were being routinely and intentionally destroyed, we were the first to conduct carousel auctions. In addition to selling more individual figures than any other firm, we also led the drive to preserve complete carousels. Most notable among those was the B & B. The complete machine had been consigned to us with instructions to sell it in the most expedient way… which meant sell it horse by horse. As a New Yorker, we felt that the destruction of B & B might be a “final nail in Coney’s coffin”, I went to then Mayor Bloomberg with the hope that the City might buy the carousel intact. Initially, I was told that allocating funds for such an acquisition would at best take years which was unacceptable to the family that then owned the carousel. However, Mayor Bloomberg made it happen and I was on the podium in Coney when we announced that the B & B was being saved! I’m now writing a book encompassing some of this history so I would welcome hearing from anyone related to MC Illions, the early days of that carousel and / or Coney Island. Thanks.

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