The show continued through the 1920s, and was influential in attracting freak shows to Coney Island after movies had eclipsed illusion rides in popularity. For many years, Gumpertz was the ...

As has often been noted, the stated purpose of many Coney Island rides was to give men and women the chance to touch each other. One might add that it allowed them to become exhibitionists.

Another fun fact is that Coney Island was a location owned and operated by mainly ride manufacturing families, and the historic Amusement District was once much more vast than it is today.

April 18 - Despite the strides in rides, entertainment and marketing that ... got coasters in the 1920s. Along with classic coasters such as Coney Island's Cyclone (built in 1927 for $175,000) and the ...