Join me this week as we journey to Coney Island!

My guests will be Richard Eagan, artist, local history buff, and Co-Founder & Director of the Coney Island Hysterical Society, and Raechael Russo, Co-Owner of the famous Gargiulo’s Restaurant.

Segment 1

Jeff starts off the show by introducing his first guest, Richard Eagan. Richard talks about his first visit in Coney Island. Then Richard talks about his arts about Coney Island. He wants to record the beauty of the island. Jeff then talks about the history of Coney Island. Richard explained why Coney Island is called Coney Island, it was first named “Konijn Island” by the Dutch people because there are many rabbits on the island at the time.

Segment 2

Richard talks about the Coney Island Hysterical Society and some of the projects that they worked on. Richard then talks about his art works in a group exhibition in 1985. Jeff asks about one of Richard’s projects the Coney Island Spookhouse. Richard then talks about the changes he sees in Coney Island since he first arrived.

Segment 3

Jeff came back introducing his second guest, Raechael Russo. Jeff asks Raechael what she likes about her career in education and why she left. Then she talks about the ‘Balloon network’ that she was in. Raechael then talks about how her family first got in the Gargiulo’s Restaurant. Gargiulo Restaurant was one of the oldest restaurants in Brooklyn. She talks about how her family bought the restaurant from the original Gargiulo family in 1965.

Segment 4

Jeff came back asking Raechael what she likes about the recent changes in Coney Island. She thinks that Coney Island came to life again and more and more people visit Coney Island and the Gargiulo Restaurant from all over the world. Raechael then talks about the big octopus on the ceiling of the restaurant, she talks about how was it first hanging there and why do they took it off. Raechael also talks about the struggle that she faces as a business owner, the problem of finding the right staff to work in the restaurant. Then she gives some advice for those who want to open a restaurant.