Oral History Archive

Filtering by 1940 - 1949 back to all
Van Milana
Grandson of sword swallower Joseph "Ajax" Milana and DeWise Purdin "The Handless Sharpshooter"
Deena Metzger
Writer, poet and healer who grew up in a Yiddish literary family in Sea Gate during World War II
Jay Green (Gerald Greenberg)
Three-time International Jugglers Association champion and resident of Southern Brooklyn
Susan Meyer
Memories of growing up in the 1940s and '50s in a tight-knit Jewish community in Coney Island
Father Eugene Pappas
On growing up in Coney Island in the 1940s and the history of Greek-American businesses in the area
Jeffrey Eisenmesser
Former teacher at Mark Twain Junior High School recalls his Coney Island memories
Wesley Casola
Son of Coney Island artist, banner painter and Cyclops creator Dan Casola
Charles Berkman
Memories of growing up in Coney Island during the Great Depression and 55 years practicing law
Joel Zika
The founder of the Dark Ride Project on documenting Spook-A-Rama and other historic dark rides
George Rudes
Clothing company CEO George Rudes grew up in the shadow of the Half Moon Hotel
Gregory Bitetzakis
Co-owner and operator of Gregory & Paul's for more than 50 years
Charles Robert Feltman
Great-grandson of Feltmans Restaurant founder and hot dog inventor Charles Feltman
Antoinette Balzano
Granddaughter of Anthony "Totonno" Pero tells the story of how he founded Totonno's Pizzeria in 1924
Commendatore Aldo Mancusi
Memories of Coney Island in the 1930s and '40s and growing up in Brooklyn in an Italian family
Anthony Martire
A family tradition of raising and racing homing pigeons in Coney Island
Louise Milano
Louise Milano's mother, Carolina, operated Carolina Restaurant on Mermaid Avenue for 60 years
Taty and Ralph Alicea
Mother and son remember the Laughing Lady at Coney's Magic Carpet Fun House
Mary Loretta Hood
Mary Hood came to Coney Island as a child and worked on the Bowery well into her 90s