Oral History Archive

Gene Ritter

Founder of Cultural Research Divers shares his knowledge of oceans, estuaries, and Coney Island Creek

Alfie Davis

Longtime Coney Island resident tells the story of three generations of her family

Derrick Batts

Coney Island resident and proprietor of Coney Island Hook and Bait Shop

Florian Freitag

Visiting scholar whose research interests include theme park studies

Candi Rafael

Coney Island carny kid and water race game operator on the Bowery

Irina Roizin

Founder and director of Brighton Ballet Theater, founded in 1987

Marie Martorano

Bensonhurst native recalls riding Spook-A-Rama and playing Fascination in the 1970s

Michael Borruto

Revisiting the Spook-A-Rama and Wonder Wheel of his boyhood

Kathy Duke O'Melia

Girlhood memories of summering in a Coney Island bungalow in the 1950s

Santos Torres

Coney Island resident since the 1970s, community gardener and musician

Commendatore Aldo Mancusi

Memories of Coney Island in the 1930s and '40s and growing up in Brooklyn in an Italian family

Scott Krivitsky

Teacher and community advocate at Public School 188 in Coney Island

Filippo Dispenza

Science teacher at John Dewey High School and advisor for the Robotics Team

Eric K. Washington

Historian delves into the life of E.J. Perry, African-American silhouette artist at Luna Park

Zinovy Pritsker

Musician and founder of a jazz big band recounts his journey from Leningrad to Southern Brooklyn

Albert Apuzzi and Dori Ten

Coney Island handball champions Albert Apuzzi and Dori Ten on the mecca of handball

Ted Enoch

Partnerships for Parks' Catalyst community specialist on waterfront parks along Coney Island Creek

Sarah Beetson

UK illustrator based in Australia who created her own summer-long artist residency in Coney Island