Amusing the Zillion

Photo of the Day: The Bank of Coney Island, Now & Then

October 14, 2010 by Tricia

Doomed Bank of Coney Island with Demolition Scaffolding. October 13, 2010. Photo © Eric Kowalsky

On Wednesday, demolition scaffolding was erected around Thor Equities-owned Bank of Coney Island on 12th Street at Surf Avenue. In Eric Kowalsky’s stunning photo, the long, black boards resemble a coffin for the doomed bank. A demolition permit has been issued and the work is expected to be finished within 40 days.

ATZ has already spent–some would say wasted–considerable time advocating for the preservation of this building. “A Rare Peek Inside Endangered Old Bank of Coney Island” was posted over a year ago on October 9, 2009. Nothing whatsoever has changed since then. A few weeks ago, Save Coney Island’s splendid rendering of the building re-imagined as the “Banker’s Ballroom” was a hit in the blogosphere. But it was a quixotic effort because real estate speculator Joe Sitt never gave it the time of day. Shame on Thor Equities for not even responding to the written pleas of individuals and organizations to re-purpose the building or at least save the facade. Shame on the City of New York for sacrificing the building by rezoning the parcel for a 30-story high rise in July 2009.

In the lovely archival photo below sent to us by historian Charles Denson, the Bank of Coney Island is a branch of Banker’s Trust (1928-1950). The bank was later sold to Manufacturer’s Hanover. In December 1987, the branch closed and the property was offered for sale, with a minimum acceptable bid of $225,000, all cash. The building has remained vacant since real estate speculator Joe Sitt bought the Bank of Coney Island building in 2005 for $3 million.

Bank of Coney Island. Photo © Charles Denson Archive

Rest in Peace: Scott Fitlin, Coney Island’s Eldorado Man

October 13, 2010 by Tricia

Scott Fitlin at Coney Island's Eldorado. Photo © Charles Denson

Sorrowful news from Coney Island this morning: Our friend Scott Fitlin, who operated the Eldorado Bumper cars for his family, died on Monday in his apartment. Scott was the DJ extraordinaire of Surf Avenue’s legendary disco palace of bumper cars and a steadfast defender of the amusement zone. Coney Island will miss him more than we can say.

These never-before-published portraits of Scott Fitlin were taken by Coney Island historian Charles Denson, who photographed Scott at work in the Eldorado this summer.

Coney Island raconteur Stan Fox, whose family operated the Playland arcade, recalled saying that when Mike Saltzstein of the B & B Carousell died in 2001, the music died. “Today’s another day when the music died,” Fox said.

Scott Fitlin was proud of the Eldorado’s sound system. Last March, ATZ did a post celebrating the Eldorado, in which Scott related the history of the ride and the sound system. Here is an excerpt:

Eldorado was hand built by my grandfather Joseph Buxbaum, my Dad Sandy Fitlin, and my Uncle Peter Buxbaum, and a carpenter named Rafael. Opening date was March 21st 1973, admission was 50 cents and 25 cent re-rides.

The lighting is disco style from the Studio 54 era, and we are upgrading this year to newer LED technology effects.

Our sound is custom built, by us, and we have had professionals in from time to time, back in the old days it was Richard Long, famous for the sound at Studio 54 and The Paradise Garage. Our sound is extremely powerful yet very easy to listen to, it doesn’t hurt the ear. CRYSTAL CLEAR, lightning fast, and stunning transient response, the crack of the snare drum is scary. Our bass is tremendous, and I play dance music, the sound that has energy and life, and POSITIVITY!

Our Bumper cars are Italian made Soli cars. They look good, run fast, and bump good.

The Eldorado Arcade opened for the spring of `71, the bumper cars were constructed during the winter of `72, and grand opened March 21, 1973. The FIRST record played was Cisco Kid-War!

Over the summer, Scott sent us a note about the upgrade to the Eldorado’s sound system:

I was always devoutly into audio, and music. Once I have performed and completed this years sound system repairs and upgrades, once again, NOTHING sounds like The Eldorado.

If you really begin searching the web using my name, you will find that I am one of the foremost authorities on the RLA [Richard Long] sound, and dance club style sound.

I have been working the 1216 Surf Ave Eldorado like it is a nightclub, for years. The only difference between my place and a club, is that in a club you dance on the floor, in my place you drive electric cars around the floor. Essentially, I run a disco on wheels.

Services will be on Friday, October 15th, at 12 noon at the Boulevard Chapel in Hewlett, Long Island. Phone 516-295-3100. The Fitlin family has chartered a bus to take anyone who wishes to attend but does not have transportation. The bus is expected to leave from the Eldorado between 9 am and 10 am.

UPDATE October 22, 2010:

The Coney Island History Project has posted a very moving excerpt from an audio interview that Scott did with CIHP director Charles Denson
http://www.coneyislandhistory.org/news/?p=484

Coney Island Mermaid Haiku by Patricia Carragon

October 11, 2010 by Tricia

Today we’re taking a holiday break from news about Coney Island deconstruction and redevelopment to shine the spotlight on a new literary endeavor. Urban Haiku and More by Patricia Carragon, host of the Brooklyn-based Brownstone Poets, was just published by Fierce Grace Press. The poet is a member of Brevitas, a group dedicated to short poems, including haiku, senryu, hay(na)ku and other unrhymed tercet poetry.

The subject matter of Urban Haiku and More encompasses such everyday events as riding the New York City subway, thinking about one’s sex life, laughing and crying about being dateless, and –well we’re not sure this one is an everyday event—searching the Coney Island boardwalk for mermaids. The book is illustrated with Japanese-style watercolors of birds and flowers, but reading Carragon’s poems about Coney Island immediately brought to mind the rainy Mermaid Parade of 2009. Thanks to Barry Yanowitz for permission to use his evocative photos of the parade in this post.

weathermen predict
washout at Coney Island
mermaids drown in the storm

Coney Island Mermaid Parade 2009. Photo © Barry Yanowitz via flickr

Brooklyn mermaids
hiding under umbrellas
rain on their parade

Coney Island storm
mermaids do breaststrokes
on boardwalk

Urban Haiku and More is available at BookCourt and upcoming book events:

Sunday, October 17 at 4 p.m. at The Bowery Poetry Club, – 308 Bowery, NYC 10012

Thursday, October 28 at 7 p.m. at Wyld Chyld Tattoo and Café – 1708 Sunrise Highway, Merrick, NY 11566

Tuesday, November 2 at 7 p.m. at the Perch Café – 365 Fifth Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215

Urban Haiku and More
by Patricia Carragon
Illustrated by William L. Hays
saddle-stitched chapbook, 52pp, $7
Fierce Grace Press / 1515 Benton Blvd., #1727/ Pooler, GA 31322