Oral History Archive

Marie Martorano
Bensonhurst native recalls riding Spook-A-Rama and playing Fascination in the 1970s
Kathy Duke O'Melia
Girlhood memories of summering in a Coney Island bungalow in the 1950s
Santos Torres
Coney Island resident for 43 years, 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
April Leong
Founder and principal of Coney Island's Liberation Diploma Plus High School
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
Dalia Vazquez and Raymundo Bardomiano
Dalia Vazquez and Raymundo Bardomiano own Tacos Doña Zita on Coney Island's Bowery
Martine Emile
Longtime Coney Island resident and cinematographer for a series of indie films shot here
Aisuluu Sartbaeva
Journalist and PTA President of I.S. 303 moved to Coney Island from Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia