Cha Cha in front of his Coney Island Bar, April 2, 2011. Photo © Tricia Vita
Today we received the sad news that John Ciarcia, known to all as Cha Cha of Coney Island, passed away this morning. He had recently undergone surgery for cancer and was about to start a course of chemotherapy, a family friend told ATZ.
Update: Services will be held after Thanksgiving in Little Italy. Viewing will be Monday, November 30, and Tuesday, December 1, from 5-9pm at the Old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral recreation hall behind the church. The funeral Mass will be on Wednesday, December 2, at 10:30am at the Old Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, 263 Mulberry Street between Prince and Houston.
Cha Cha’s Club Atlantis on the Coney Island Boardwalk, the “Home of Wild Women and Wise Guys,” closed at the end of the 2011 season after losing its lease. It was one of the “Coney Island 8” evicted by Zamperla. Cha Cha’s Coney Island Seafood Bar & Pizzeria relocated to Surf Avenue in 2012 but never re-opened after Sandy.
This post will shortly be updated with an obituary. In the meantime, here’s a 2009 photo of Cha Cha’s the way we like to remember it….
Cha Cha’s Bar & Cafe on the Coney Island Boardwalk. June 1, 2009. Photo © Tricia Vita
Amusing the Zillion 
We also enjoyed his briefly-owned place on Surf Avenue until Sandy wiped it out . RIP to one of the people that kept Coney going in the lean years.
One of the real next generation Coney “characters”. I was at the auction on the Boardwalk of Cha Cha’s and he was buying his own stuff if it wasn’t getting the price he was thought it was worth. “I’m not given this stuff away!”
RIP UNCLE CHA CHA THATS WHAT I ALWAYS CALLED HIM GONNA BE DEARLY MISSED.
I remember cha cha in the early 70s..he was a boxing promoter back in the days.. he has trained me in boxing in the mid 80s… at the time I have met Tony Danza back in them days he was just a regular person he took boxing as’ well!!
does where the good old day in little italy nyc. he got involved in several movies
china girl goodfellas ect: he was the best! I will miss you
love always
scamozza
You will be missed we grew up together on mulberry Rip snails.