Oral History Archive

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

Viktor Vassiliev

New York Bread co-owner talks about baking 30 different kinds of Russian bread in Coney Island

Jorge Gallegos

Working year-round at Deno's Wonder Wheel Park for 30 years

Anthony Martire

A family tradition of raising and racing homing pigeons in Coney Island

Bonnie Kong

Growing up in Coney Island and becoming invested in the community

Connor Frontera

A young harmonica player born and raised in Coney Island