Tricia Vita
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triciavita.bsky.social
Tricia Vita
@triciavita.bsky.social
1.2K followers 890 following 560 posts
Writer, oral historian, reminiscence facilitator, teaching artist. Former carny kid. Coney Island, carnivals, fairs, amusement business. It's the front of the show that gets the dough! Authors Guild member.
https://linktr.ee/triciavita
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triciavita.bsky.social
A Spin Through History! My article about the park world's oldest operating rides is in the November IAAPA Expo edition of Amusement Warehouse. Among the century-old rides in my story are Vienna's Riesenrad, Coney Island's Deno's Wonder Wheel & Blackpool's Sir Hiram Maxim's Captive Flying Machine 🎡✈️
The first page and a half of an article I wrote for Amusement Warehouse about the the park world's oldest operating amusement rides shows a photo of Vienna's Giant Wheel, the Riesenrad, and an antique postcard of it in the 19th century, when it was built. Also pictured are riders on a red swinging car of Coney Island's Deno's Wonder Wheel.
November 18, 2025 at 4:52 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Happy #NationalRollerCoasterDay! I recorded an oral history for @coneyislandhistory.bsky.social with roller coaster designer Mike Boodley. Fifty years ago, he broke a world record riding the Coney Island Cyclone 1,001X in 45 hrs 🎢 www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history... @ridewithace.bsky.social
News clipping from August 15, 1975 has the headline State's Michael Boodley New Roller-Coaster King. Fifty years ago this month, on August 14, 1975, seventeen-year-old Mike Boodley set a Guinness world record for consecutive roller coaster rides by riding the Coney Island Cyclone 1,001 times over 45 hours. The black & white photo shows him sitting in the first car, which says Cyclone, after the 1001st ride, and people around him congratulating him.
August 16, 2025 at 8:31 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Hit the Hammer, Ring the Bell! My article about the history of the high striker is published in the July issue of Amusement Warehouse, the print magazine companion to carnivalwarehouse.com. The strongman game inspired the phrase "close, but no cigar!" because a cigar was your prize if you won.
Graphic shows photo layout of my article HIt the Hammer, Ring the Bell! The History of the High Striker in Amusement Warehouse Magazine. The large photo on the left is a still from the 1917 silent film comedy Coney Island showing Buster Keaton holding a hammer in front of a high striker and hitting Fatty Arbuckle on the chin so that his hat jumps in the air. Smaller photos from the early 20th century on the right show the bottom part of the high striker's wooden tower with numbers 300, 500, and 600 painted on it and a player hitting the gong.
July 29, 2025 at 5:50 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Watching Coney Island's 4th of July fireworks on West 15th St thru the loop of Luna Park's Thunderbolt roller coaster 🎢
July 6, 2025 at 4:42 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Happy first Saturday of summer and Mermaid Parade Day! Photo from my carnival collection of diving girls from the Neptune's Daughter show with the Great Wortham Shows, 1917 season 🧜‍♀️
1917 sepia photograph shows eight diving girls and one guy lined up and holding each others shoulders in front of a vehicle that has "Great Wortham Shows," a carnival of the day, written on the side. Most of the girls are wearing tight fitting black suits that end at upper middle thigh and are bare legged. Two people wear leotards that cover their legs. All are wearing scarves or cloches as headgear. They were performers in the Neptune's Daughter show with the carnival. Photo from my collection.
June 21, 2025 at 2:23 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Dear NY friends, voting in the NYC Primary is June 14-24. Since I've worked in Coney Island for the past 18 years & all politics is local, I’m hyper-focused on the NYC Comptroller’s race. I'm ranking @marklevinenyc.bsky.social #1 for NYC Comptroller and won't be ranking @justinbrannan.bsky.social
Renderings of proposed casinos in Coney Island and Hudson Yards show tall towers overwhelming their surroundings. Text boxes explain the status of the proposals and the role that Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and Coney Island Councilmember Justin Brannan have and are playing in the approval process in their respective boroughs. It says that Levine opposed the Hudson Yards casino proposal, citing concerns about insufficient housing and impact on the High Line and it was pulled by the developer in May. Regarding the Coney casino, it says that City & State reported that Coney councilman Justin Brannan "had previously been a solid 'no' on the casino proposal, but he recently told Politico NY that he "wants to let the process play out." At the Council's June 12 zoning subcommittee hearing he said he was undecided.
June 14, 2025 at 3:01 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
My favorite genre of sideshow banners, a word banner, is on the auction block today! But living in a small apt puts this 11.5 x 10 foot beauty beyond my reach. As banner collector Jim Secreto said in a piece I wrote about his collection: "If you've got to worry about the size don't get in the game."
Sideshow banner up for auction in Potter & Potter's circus, carnival, and sideshow sale on May 22. The word banner says "Upside Down Family - Alien - From Brazil, Nature in the Raw, Jungle Queen - Weird - She is Real, Oddities from Everywhere, What is It?- Agile_ Mystery Angel, and All-Time Circus Favorites. The words are in yellow capsules against an orange background.
May 22, 2025 at 2:43 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Excited to have my first piece in Amusement Warehouse, the print magazine companion to carnivalwarehouse.com. I wrote about Coney Island's WF Mangels' Whip, the first portable thrill ride. If you know of a show or park that still has a Whip in operation, please LMK. I'm updating my Whip Census!
Graphic advertising May 2025 issue of Amusement Warehouse shows photos from the article "Coney Island's William F. Mangels and The Whip" by Tricia Vita. Vintage pics of the Whip on a parade float, a palatial ticket booth, and the scenes of the ride on the carnival midway in the ealy 1900s are shown.
May 1, 2025 at 12:37 AM
triciavita.bsky.social
Has anybody played a Glass Pitch lately? Throwback to the one that was next door to my High Striker at the Big A Fair at Aqueduct. No Leaning, No Sticking Substance on Coins, No Chewing Gum on Coins, No Spitting on Coins.
#carnival #signage
Yellow diamond shaped sign with red and black lettering for Glass Pitch where you threw dimes at a platforms filled with glassware. The sign says: No Leaning, No Sticking Substance on Coins, No Chewing Gum on Coins, No Spitting on Coins. 10 Cents.
April 29, 2025 at 4:19 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Enjoying this heavenly pastiera di grano from Pasticceria Rocco! My aunts on the Italian side of my family have been making grain pie for Easter for as far back as I can remember. They wouldn't share their recipe with mom, who was French American but learned to cook Italian after marrying dad....1/2
Photo of pastiera di grano - Italian grain pie. It's an Easter tradition. The top has a lattice crust and is golden brown.
April 21, 2025 at 12:10 AM
triciavita.bsky.social
My first ride of the season on the Wonder Wheel on Palm Sunday, Coney Island's traditional opening day ❤️!
Thanks to Robert Galletta for his photo.
It's me sitting inside a white car on Deno's Wonder Wheel in Coney Island on Palm Sunday, Coney Island's traditional opening day. I'm wearing a pink hat and winter coat because it's chilly and am waving to Robert Galletta, who took the photo. In the background is a sign that says Zombies in red lettering on the wall of the amusement park's Stop the Zombies attraction next door.
April 13, 2025 at 8:42 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
My memoir about working the spot joint for Benny Harrison on Jones Walk is published today in Gramercy Review!
"I didn’t go to Coney Island looking for the spot game. It found me. I’d all but given up my elusive quest to once again work my game of choice..."
www.gramercyreview.com/the-spot-joi...
The late Benny Harrison's amusement attractions in Coney Island including a diorama with miniature rides ("Coney Island Always") and a life size dancing doll ("Miss Coney Island") are next to his Skin the Wire game. A sign board above says Watch Her Dance to the End of Love has a drawing of high heel clad feet.
April 11, 2025 at 2:11 AM
triciavita.bsky.social
...along with artful new signage and chalk drawings by Stephen Gaffney saying "Hey Get It, Get It!" as Paul Georgoulakos used to call out to passersby. I had calamari and coffee. I highly recommend their lobster rolls, fries, and beer and mixed drink menu too. Now open daily, weather permitting.
Photo of new signage by Stephen Gaffney at Paul's Daughter on the Coney Island Boardwalk. Three anthropomorphized clams seated on chairs at the "Clam Bar" are talking and drinking. Photo of a plate of fried calamari with lemon slices on top and a cup of coffee at Paul's Daughter on the Coney Island Boardwalk.
April 6, 2025 at 5:31 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Paul's Daughter on the Coney Island Boardwalk, established as Gregory and Paul’s in 1962. It's delightful to once again see the beloved vintage signs for “Mr. Shrimp” & “Chiefito and Chiefita - the Nice N Sweet/Fluffy Cotton Candy Kids” painted by Hector George Wallace carefully preserved inside...
Photo shows old photos and bar menu behind the counter at Paul's Daughter on the Coney Island Boardwalk. Among the vintage photos is one of Paul Georgoulakos, the store's founder, as a young man leaning on the glass case next to signage that says Egg Rolls and Knishes. Photo shows some of the beloved vintage signs inside Paul's Daughter on the Coney Island Boardwalk. “Mr. Shrimp” and "Delicious Italian Sausage" painted by Hector George Wallace is carefully preserved inside along with an artful new chalk drawing showing Mama Burger saying Get The Best, Forget the Rest drawn by Stephen Gaffney. Photo shows some of the beloved vintage signs inside Paul's Daughter on the Coney Island Boardwalk. “Chiefito and Chiefita - the Nice N Sweet/Fluffy Cotton Candy Kids” and "Lolly Pops" painted by Hector George Wallace is carefully preserved inside along with an artful new chalk drawing showing Papa Burger saying I Scream, You Scream drawn by Stephen Gaffney.
April 6, 2025 at 5:26 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Excited to announce that I'm a LMCC 2025 Manhattan Arts Grants Recipient! Thanks to Lower Manhattan Cultural Council's support, I will bring my reminiscence, oral history and storytelling workshop to an older adult center in Manhattan later this year.
#LMCC #CreativeAging #ArtsEngagement
The graphic says in white letters "I'm a 2025 Manhattan Arts Grants Recipient!' against a coral and orange background. The logo LMCC stands for Lower Manhattan Cultural Council.
March 27, 2025 at 8:02 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
#Feminism lives! The Ten Women Bicycle, a feminist fable and my first ever pub, is a new orchestral work by June Bonacich and will be performed by Community Women's Orchestra. The Bay Area org is celebrating its 40th anniversary and my story was published in Ms. Magazine and as a book 45 years ago!
Covers of the UK, Swedish, and Dutch editions of The Ten-Woman Bicycle, a feminist fable with text by Tricia Vita and Illustrations by Marion Crezee. The front cover illustration shows a drawing of five of the ten woman riding a bicycle built for ten. The are wearing long skirts and billowy sleeves since the story is set in the 19th century. "The Ten-Woman Bicycle reaches back to a 19th-century bicycle factory to reveal that there have always been women who are clever, mighty and brave. By introducing female counterparts to the awesome likes of…Thomas Edison, these new legends bring sex equity to our dreams of greatness." ---Letty Cottin Pogrebin, Stories for Free Children (US)
March 14, 2025 at 2:50 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Happy Valentine's Day from this former High Striker Girl! "I'm Strong For You" postcard from my collection of carnival ephemera.
Vintage valentine of a boy holding a mallet to play the high striker carnival game. It says "I'm Strong For You." The cute little boy is wearing a red checked cap and a red scarf and blue shorts.
February 14, 2025 at 3:20 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Career alert for carousel lovers: An RFP for the operation of SeaGlass Carousel, a very calming, otherworldly experience totally unlike any other carousel or amusement ride. Glowing fish change colors as they swim by in my video of its inaugural spin in 2015. www.thebattery.org/about-us/sea...
February 10, 2025 at 2:59 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Lula peeking out from the linen and silk clothes in my closet 😻

#caturday #catsofbluesky
February 8, 2025 at 3:37 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Happy New Year of the Snake, a time of transformation and growth! Throwback to Lion Dance at NYC Council Lunar New Year Celebration in 2019.
January 29, 2025 at 7:10 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Anyone else feeling the dynamics of personal transformation this week? This Metamorphosis sideshow banner was painted by my old friend Johnny Meah for the World of Wonders sideshow and is up for auction at Potter & Potter Auctions February 1st sale.

#sideshow #transformation
Blue, red, white, yellow and orange painted canvas banner depicts two faces of a half-man/half-woman performer from the World of Wonders sideshow and lightning bolts. The word METAMORPHOSIS appears at the top. 'ALIVE' and '?' appear in balloons at the bottom. Painted by Johnny Meah (b. 1937). 85 x 95".
January 24, 2025 at 4:29 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
#Throwback to an #OralHistory I recorded with Mort Shatzkin, who recalls #ConeyIsland's Tuesday night fireworks and Shatzkin's Knishes, his family's business on the Boardwalk in the 1940s and 50s. Full interview in coneyislandhistory.bsky.social archive: www.coneyislandhistory.org/oral-history...
January 16, 2025 at 4:07 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Here we go again trying to #SaveConeyIsland from Thor Equities! Please sign the petition against the casino at coneyisland.com/nocasino & scroll down the page for the contact info of @bkbpreynoso.bsky.social & @justinbrannan.bsky.social whose vote is coming up next. Deets in alt text #ConeyIsland
NO CASINO in Coney Island. Don't Replace Coney Island with a Casino! Sign the petition online via the QR code, which links to https://www.coneyisland.com/nocasino and scroll down the page for the contact info of electeds whose vote is coming up next. Phone or write to them, especially Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and City Councilmember Justin Brannan, who is running for citywide office as NYC comptroller. Last night, January 15, Brooklyn's Community Board 13's Land Use Committee voted NO on de-mapping public streets for "The Coney" casino! It's the first of many hearings. Thor Equities' horrendous renderings for their multi-block casino project with a hotel over 400 feet tall show a complete takeover of the amusement area. The developer seeks air rights to build sky bridges over public streets and a hotel more than twice the height permitted by existing zoning. It would overwhelm Coney Island USA, Luna Park, and Deno's Wonder Wheel Park and destroy numerous small businesses. Also, and this is crucial, the project would endanger public safety by increasing already insane levels of traffic congestion on the peninsula during the season, making it impossible for emergency vehicles to get through. #nocasino #coneyisland #landgrabbers #publichearing #saveconeyisland
January 16, 2025 at 2:33 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
FYI The location of the Jan 9 public hearing about the casino was just now changed from the Aquarium to the Coney Island Y, 2980 W 29 St. Bigger space!
Location change for Jan 9, 7pm, public hearing on the casino demapping. It will be at Coney Island Y, 2980 W 29th St, Brooklyn NY 11224. 2nd floor, Gym
January 6, 2025 at 10:09 PM
triciavita.bsky.social
Last tiramisu and cappuccino of 2024 at the wonderfully named Travelers Poets & Friends in Greenwich Village.

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!
The storefront has a sign saying Travelers Poets & Friends. Gold letters on the window say bistro, market, ristorante. Through the window one can see Christmas lights and ornaments, lamps over a counter, and two men.. Tiramisu on a plate in the center of a wooden table with two spoons flanked by a cup of cappuccino and a cup of espresso.
January 1, 2025 at 2:00 AM