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Post by JerseyDigger29 on Jun 16, 2006 9:16:56 GMT -5
Robert, here's a surprise for you. I worked in the theaters in the mid to late 60s but I worked on Jungleland from about 81 to 85 during my summers while attending Glassboro State College. Most of the time, I drove the "Congo Kitty." I'll bet you probably rode in my boat, you little shoobie, you. I rode the Keystone Kops and the Whacky Shack but never worked on them. If memory serves me, I remember hearing music but I don't remember sound effects. Kristen - The second man IS Merle (Merlin) Paul. And I'm 99% sure the three others are the three Hunts. TWR.com next week will include a portrait of all three together. I just can't remember the third one's name right now. The pictures of Vince and Merle are amazing. It took a lot of courage to walk up there so high above the Flyer. I operated the Flyer only a couple of times and once I tried to walk up the first incline. I got about half way up and chickened out; it just felt way toooooo high. And Vince was up there when not everything was attached. Very brave! Thom  |
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Post by Robert on Jun 17, 2006 2:02:02 GMT -5
I found a phonebook listing for Vince on Google, he lived at 7 Cresse St., Rio Grande. Anyone know what happened to him? Did he have an illness? He was only 76. Was he the "real" boss of the pier with Bud Hunt overseeing? Would the general public have seen him on the pier more than Bud Hunt, did he interact with the public more than Hunt or did Hunt greet people, too? Did he have anything from Hunt's Pier in his personal collection? I'm sure being there since the beginning in 1957 until the end (selling and retirement) in 1985 he would have saved a bunch of stuff from tickets to brochures to whatever. Most of this stuff is already on the websites, like Funchase, I suppose a bunch of people donated stuff to the museum from their collections already. I'm sure Kristen's family has some stuff, too from the business. The two theaters that were knocked down Casino and Shore 4 were ex-Hunt theaters. The Casino was an arcade in the early 80's, then a Photon laser game, then abandoned in the 90's when I returned. When was it last used as a theater? Now the only ones left are the Ocean and Strand I think. Didn't the Ocean close down? What is it used for now? I guess in the timeline, the Hunt's were older than the Morey's, the Hunt's started around 1935 but the Morey's started in 1969. So, I guess by 1985 Bud decided it was time to give it up, as he was around 79 years old at the time and didn't want to saddle his daughters with the responsibility of running the pier like Kristen said. (In the 1989 newspaper interview on Anthony's site about the Flyer demolition he stated that he was 83 years old) So the only choice was to sell to an outsider, which carried some risk, the risk of the new owner deciding to remove some or all of the older rides for newer ones which the Hunt's could do nothing about since they didn't own the pier anymore. That happened in 1989 when all the major rides on the left side of the pier came down. I'm sure you were sad, Thom when the Jungleland was being torn apart. David Kami was a jerk for doing that. Worse is when Dino Beach pulled out and nobody finalized a sale and the pier wound up in the hands of the Morey's and they had no interest in running it as a normal amusement pier. The Go-Karts have got to go and the Nugget needs to be reopened so that a new generation can experience a piece of Hunt's history. It just feels like something is "missing" without Hunt's Pier fully working. Here are some pics I found including what Hunt's is now and Dr. Blood's. www.coasterreview.com/twister/index.php?album=TheGallery2003-2004/Coaster%20Trips%202003/Wildwood&mode= www.coasterreview.com/twister/index.php?album=The_Archive2003-2004/Wildwood_9-21-03&mode= |
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Post by huntspier4ever on Jun 17, 2006 12:25:21 GMT -5
Like I said before, I never actually met Vince Kostek... so I can't say what type of person he was, what he did, etc. I heard he lived in Rio Grande but I've never been by his house or saw him working on the toll bridge.
As far as I know, Vince was the Director of Operations of Hunt's Pier... I'm not sure what this job entailed but I'm sure it was very hands-on to make sure everything was operational. I have seen photos of him at the Boyer where he's constructing the Flyer and working on other rides.
About a month ago, I had a chance to speak with French Louie, who mainly worked on the Golden Nugget and worked under Vince. He described Vince as a perfectionist; which I can assume was part of his work ethic and I'm sure made my grandfather very happy.
Vince's passing is really a loss to anyone who loved Hunt's Pier and authentic, custom, unique rides. Anyone who read the comments about the Flyer destruction can plainly see his love for that coaster and Hunt's Pier. You can't help but to be saddened that all of his hard work and accomplishments are now a thing of the past.
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Post by Crippled_Visions on Jun 17, 2006 21:17:21 GMT -5
I found a phonebook listing for Vince on Google, he lived at 7 Cresse St., Rio Grande. Anyone know what happened to him? Did he have an illness? He was only 76. Was he the "real" boss of the pier with Bud Hunt overseeing? Would the general public have seen him on the pier more than Bud Hunt, did he interact with the public more than Hunt or did Hunt greet people, too? Did he have anything from Hunt's Pier in his personal collection? I'm sure being there since the beginning in 1957 until the end (selling and retirement) in 1985 he would have saved a bunch of stuff from tickets to brochures to whatever. Most of this stuff is already on the websites, like Funchase, I suppose a bunch of people donated stuff to the museum from their collections already. I'm sure Kristen's family has some stuff, too from the business. The two theaters that were knocked down Casino and Shore 4 were ex-Hunt theaters. The Casino was an arcade in the early 80's, then a Photon laser game, then abandoned in the 90's when I returned. When was it last used as a theater? Now the only ones left are the Ocean and Strand I think. Didn't the Ocean close down? What is it used for now? I guess in the timeline, the Hunt's were older than the Morey's, the Hunt's started around 1935 but the Morey's started in 1969. So, I guess by 1985 Bud decided it was time to give it up, as he was around 79 years old at the time and didn't want to saddle his daughters with the responsibility of running the pier like Kristen said. (In the 1989 newspaper interview on Anthony's site about the Flyer demolition he stated that he was 83 years old) So the only choice was to sell to an outsider, which carried some risk, the risk of the new owner deciding to remove some or all of the older rides for newer ones which the Hunt's could do nothing about since they didn't own the pier anymore. That happened in 1989 when all the major rides on the left side of the pier came down. I'm sure you were sad, Thom when the Jungleland was being torn apart. David Kami was a jerk for doing that. Worse is when Dino Beach pulled out and nobody finalized a sale and the pier wound up in the hands of the Morey's and they had no interest in running it as a normal amusement pier. The Go-Karts have got to go and the Nugget needs to be reopened so that a new generation can experience a piece of Hunt's history. It just feels like something is "missing" without Hunt's Pier fully working. Here are some pics I found including what Hunt's is now and Dr. Blood's. www.coasterreview.com/twister/index.php?album=TheGallery2003-2004/Coaster%20Trips%202003/Wildwood&mode= www.coasterreview.com/twister/index.php?album=The_Archive2003-2004/Wildwood_9-21-03&mode=It's time to go back on your meds Robert. |
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Post by Robert on Jun 17, 2006 22:29:16 GMT -5
Hey Kristen, is French Louie still around? He would probably be happy if his ride returns to operation. I heard a plan that involves Halloween Productions (who rehabbed Dante's and Dark River/Pirates) coming in and doing work for the Nugget such as new props and such, removing the Dinosaur theming. Here's a nice article about the Nugget www.laffinthedark.com/articles/wildwood/wwd9.htm I wonder if it was Louie V. who was working the Nugget when I rode it in the early 1980's? Does anyone remember what was different about the old Nugget versus the dinosaur version? I remember a sound like thunder at the end when you turned to the left before you came out. In the dinosaur version, you heard screams and dinosaur roars. I think most of the props were the same except for the addition of dinosaurs and on the roof they removed or changed some props to put the helicopter and crashed jeep and computers there. There used to be a skeleton on a horse, and a covered wagon, and boot hill, and I think a guy panning for gold. It's nice that Anthony made a model of the Nugget, as well as the Whacky Shack and Castle Dracula. I made 3D versions of those rides and others in a computer game Roller Coaster Tycoon 3. You can ride the rides in 3D, including custom built dark rides. I actually started building my own Wildwood Boardwalk and Piers layout a while back in the game. It has the beach, ocean and all. |
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Post by huntspier4ever on Jun 17, 2006 23:45:36 GMT -5
Yes Robert, French Louie is still around.... I met him for the first time about a month ago. He showed me the piece of wood which he carved his initials in every single year he worked at Hunt's. It was very interesting and I asked him about the L.V. painted above one of the doors on the Nugget.... he said he painted it on there. Louie said loved working on the Nugget and he'd be even happier if it was restored and reopened.
The only "info" I have heard about the Nugget is that Philadelphia Toboggan Company is interested in repairing/replacing the mine carts... granted if the ride EVER reopens. I never went to Dinosaur Beach so I don't know what props were in the Nugget. I think the last time I rode the Nugget was either 1984 or 85.... WOW, that was over 20 years ago! How sad!
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Post by Robert on Jun 18, 2006 23:24:31 GMT -5
Can you imagine all the additional information Vince could have provided for the Hunt's Pier websites? Too late now.  Think about it, he was there from the beginning in 1957 until the end of the Hunt regime in 1985/86. That's 27 years. He probably knew Hunt's Pier inside out. Too bad no one went to interview him lately although Ralph Grassi at Funchase probably knew him. |
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Post by Robert on Jun 19, 2006 20:58:58 GMT -5
I am curious, was Vince more "hands-on" with the pier operations, rides, etc. than Bud Hunt in the final years, especially 1980-1985? Or was Bud out there, too on the pier during operating hours? Where were the general offices for the pier? Were they offsite, that is not on the pier itself? Was Vince the next level down in rank from the Hunt's themselves? Did Vince retire when Hunt did, following the 1985 season? Did Vince ever come into the museum when any of you guys were there or anytime? Thank God some people had the foreknowledge to document almost every inch of the pier not knowing back then that the end would ever come. I heard the museum put together some new books of Hunt's Pier in the past few years. and Anthony and Ralph did an excellent job on the websites and documenting the lost attractions that were forgotten about. And a big thanks to Bill and Seph from Dark in the Park for their Hunt's Pier video from the 80's before half the rides were torn down. I wonder if anyone else has video from Hunt's?
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Post by crazyaboutwildwood on Jun 20, 2006 19:37:54 GMT -5
Thom, Nice pictures and story about Vince Kostek on your website. Thank You, Mike C
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Post by Robert on Jun 22, 2006 22:52:26 GMT -5
Kristen, is there anyone left in your family with the last name of Hunt? I understand you have a different last name because your mother, Bud's daughter married and her last name changed to her husband's. Bud had no sons, right? What about Guy? Did he have any sons? What is your last name? It begins with an S on the guest book that you signed. Oh, nice picture of Bud, Vince, and Cora on the website. Those three probably kept the pier together. There is and was no place in the world like Hunt's Pier, even Disney World. Disney might have similar type dark rides, but Hunt's were the best. There might be only a few other dark rides that surpass Hunt's, such as the Bill Tracy built Haunted House in Ocean City, MD in 1962 as well as the walk-through Pirate's Cove, at Trimper's, that park is a perfect example how a family-run business survives through the years and passes down from generation to generation, the park started in 1890. And the Haunted Mansion in Rehoboth Beach is an excellent dark ride.
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Post by Crippled_Visions on Jun 22, 2006 22:55:50 GMT -5
Kristen, is there anyone left in your family with the last name of Hunt? I understand you have a different last name because your mother, Bud's daughter married and her last name changed to her husband's. Bud had no sons, right? What about Guy? Did he have any sons? What is your last name? It begins with an S on the guest book that you signed. DON'T DO IT KRISTEN!!! DON'T TELL HIM YOUR LAST NAME!!! You know he will look it up and ask his mom to drive him to your house. |
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Post by huntspier4ever on Jun 23, 2006 0:22:33 GMT -5
Kristen, is there anyone left in your family with the last name of Hunt? I understand you have a different last name because your mother, Bud's daughter married and her last name changed to her husband's. Bud had no sons, right? What about Guy? Did he have any sons? What is your last name? It begins with an S on the guest book that you signed. Oh, nice picture of Bud, Vince, and Cora on the website. Those three probably kept the pier together. There is and was no place in the world like Hunt's Pier, even Disney World. Disney might have similar type dark rides, but Hunt's were the best. There might be only a few other dark rides that surpass Hunt's, such as the Bill Tracy built Haunted House in Ocean City, MD in 1962 as well as the walk-through Pirate's Cove, at Trimper's, that park is a perfect example how a family-run business survives through the years and passes down from generation to generation, the park started in 1890. And the Haunted Mansion in Rehoboth Beach is an excellent dark ride. Yes, there are still family members with the last name of Hunt. Bud did not have any sons; he had daughters. As far as I know, Guy did not have any sons either; I think he had a daughter... but as I have said before, I never met him or I was too young to remember meeting him. Like I mentioned before, I never got the opportunity to meet Vince Kostek and I was trying to set up some time to meet with him. The only thing I know about Vince is that he was "Director of Operations" at Hunt's and I have no idea exactly what that job entailed. I can only assume there was an immense amount of responsibility associated with it and the fact that Vince worked for Bud for so long really speaks volumes of his character and work ethic. I'm upset I won't have that opportunity to talk with him; I was really looking forward to it. As for my last name, I am not giving that out... to anyone. I think listing my first name and the initial of my last name is more than enough. Please do not look up my relatives or family members.... not only will it make them feel awkward, I will get extremely pissed off and won't post on this board anymore. Please respect our privacy... thank you. |
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Post by Robert on Jun 23, 2006 8:24:08 GMT -5
I think I figured out the situation in the mid-1980's with the amusements. The Morey's were really growing by that time, and the other guys were running scared. Including Bud, even though it was time for him to give it up if he was in hs late 70's at the time in 1985. Even Gilbert Ramagosa, owner of Sportland Pier, sold it around 1985, he died in 1995. The Howards, William and Helen sold Fun Pier (to the Morey's) because of the 1984 fires that destroyed most of the attractions including the dark rides. The only ones who truly stuck it out were the Morey brothers and the Nickels brothers. By the 1990's, only the Morey's and Nickels were left, with Ted Snyder? owning Sportland and David Kami giving up on Hunt's. Now, the Nickels no longer even have their amusement pier anymore, just the arcade and food court and the new waterpark splash zone is owned by the Weiner family, Andy and Marie. I doubt it we will see any major amusement developments on former Hunt's or Sportland despite the rumors circulating around.
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Post by crazyaboutwildwood on Jun 23, 2006 15:24:15 GMT -5
I think I figured out the situation in the mid-1980's with the amusements. The Morey's were really growing by that time, and the other guys were running scared. Including Bud, even though it was time for him to give it up if he was in hs late 70's at the time in 1985. Even Gilbert Ramagosa, owner of Sportland Pier, sold it around 1985, he died in 1995. The Howards, William and Helen sold Fun Pier (to the Morey's) because of the 1984 fires that destroyed most of the attractions including the dark rides. The only ones who truly stuck it out were the Morey brothers and the Nickels brothers. By the 1990's, only the Morey's and Nickels were left, with Ted Snyder? owning Sportland and David Kami giving up on Hunt's. Now, the Nickels no longer even have their amusement pier anymore, just the arcade and food court and the new waterpark splash zone is owned by the Weiner family, Andy and Marie. I doubt it we will see any major amusement developments on former Hunt's or Sportland despite the rumors circulating around. I think ted synder owned sportland pier since 1981 not 1985. We will be lucky if splash zone even makes it another couple of years. I dont see the nickels lasting much longer. Im sure the moreys will buy that area up in the near future and splash zone will be torn down and the moreys will take over the rest of the concessions. Im not sure what is going to happen with sportland yet. im sure the nickels will sell out before old ted synder. Your right, The moreys stuck it out and made huge investments so it was like they didnt even have to stick anything out cause they were kicking the crap out of everyone on the boardwalk! You got to give the moreys credit for waht they have done. On another note this thread is about Vince Kostek and Hunts Pier which was Disneyland of the east coast! THey should put up a plaque on hunts pier for the hunts family and Vince. The moreys have a picture of William Hunt on the wave swinger along with all the other greats. I must say, The moreys have done right by alot of people. |
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Post by crazyaboutwildwood on Jun 23, 2006 15:28:50 GMT -5
Dont say Bud was running scared. Im not trying to be mean to you robert but Bud was not running scared and giving up! The way you said that might upset certain people. You know the Hunts were the Wildwoods for many many years. With all the theaters and the amusements they kickes some ass for many of years. Then they got old and retired! Thats All!
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Think about it, he was there from the beginning in 1957 until the end of the Hunt regime in 1985/86. That's 27 years. He probably knew Hunt's Pier inside out. Too bad no one went to interview him lately although Ralph Grassi at Funchase probably knew him.