Photographer who worked on a city ambulance for Coney Island Hospital in the late 1970's
Steve started his career in 1975 at age 19 as an EMS ambulance technician for Coney Island Hospital. He shares some of the memorable calls from his midnight shifts through much of the late 70's. Today, Steve is a published photographer who has...
Lived on Mermaid Ave. between 35th and 36th Streets between 1945 and 1965
Robert Shapiro lived on Mermaid Avenue until his marriage in 1965. He and his wife both grew up in Coney Island and remember neighborhood restaurants, stores and social clubs. Local celebrities like Neil Diamond, Woody Guthrie and Louis Gossett, Jr...
Remembers Astroland Rocket
Louis has fond memories of riding Astroland's one-of-a-kind Rocket simulator, the very first ride to arrive at the space-age themed park in 1962. On January 28, 2009, Louis, who works at the Aquarium, was excited to see the 71-foot Rocket on a...
Grandson of Coney Island Developer William J. Ward
Jack Ward recounts his family’s long history in Coney Island. He begins with his great grandfather John Ward's purchase of beachfront property at 12th Street and Surf Avenue in 1879 and continues through his grandfather William J. Ward's...
Model Maker and Music Producer
Roy grew up in Coney Island and, among many other ventures, makes exquisitely detailed scale models of rides like the Himalaya, at which he also worked when he was a child. He tried to get a job at Astroland when he was too young but, eventually,...
Grew up in Luna Park Houses in the 1970's and worked at Nathan's
Maria and Gwen grew up in Luna Park Houses and recount with great joy and pride what it was like to live in Coney Island during the 70's. Maria tells in extraordinary detail her job selling food at Nathan's. Saying that she was among the...
Fisherman performs his Tahitian-inspired song "This Place, Coney Island"
Musician Brian "Fisherman" Lease visited the Coney Island History Project and performs a Tahitian inspired song he wrote called "This Place, Coney Island."
Grew up in Brighton Beach
Joan lived in Brighton Beach from 1940 to 1961 and has visited every summer all her life. She has various isolated childhood memories, including riding the Parachute Jump, the Mermaid Avenue library, the "third rail" of the Steeplechase...
A lover of Steeplechase Park
Paul says Steeplechase is in his blood. He would go there with his family from 1955 to 1963 when the pool closed. When he went back in '66, he realized how much he missed it and began collecting Coney Island artifacts. To date he has collected...
Lived in Coney Island since 1961
Dorothy moved to Coney Island in 1961 from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant. She has also lived in Brighton Beach and Ocean Parkway and remembers "the west side" near Seabreeze Park (now known as Asser Levy Park). She...