Pleasure Island Attractions
INDIAN VILLAGE
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Ronnie Keshishian from Watertown leaning on a Totem Pole in 1963. (Was this taken in Indian Village? It looks like it's either out by the street or another park. Ronnie has the same shirt on as in his other PI pictures, however.)

 
     
  Dave Dulong: I worked at Pleasure Island for a couple of years in the Indian Village. It was a concession run by Louis Ciarfella and Herb Silvey (not sure of the spelling). Herb also worked with Cy Milano as an actor. I think the village was active for a couple or 3 years starting around 1961 or 62. People shown on the picture on the left are, Louis, Me, unknown, Judi Kramer, and Herb. (Postcard from Dave)
 
     
 
1960 Slide From Gail Rivers
 
 

I think I can shed some light on that teepee slide of Gail's...

The second summer I was there (1962) the actor/stuntman/entrepreneur assigned to the Pirate Ride, Herb Sauve, started what was called the 'Indian Village' within the park. To get there you had to take the Pirate Boat ride which went under the trestle from the cove and then took a right to a new dock that was placed there for unloading passengers. It was an attempt to open up the park while at the same time creating another attraction. There was an assortment of teepees and souvenirs "for the kiddies". That is probably one of the teepees in the picture. Judy Harris (Wakefield High '65) played the part of an indian princess and worked one of the concessions. (She could have given Princess-Summer-Fall-Winter-Spring a run for her money!)

While I cannot speak for all members of the Pirate Ride- it meant more work since we had to load each boat not once but twice. It detracted from the artistic integrity of the ride (whoever heard of stopping for an Indian Village in the middle of a Pirate Boat Ride?) and there wasn't a spot of shade on the dock.

Martin C. Graham
340 Weaver Street
Larchmont, NY 10538
914 834-7671
e-mail: mcgraham@mail.med.cornell.edu

 
     
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