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LAST OCTOBER, HURRICANE SANDY SLAMMED INTO THE EASTERN UNITED STATES, SEVERELY DISRUPTING
LIFE IN COASTAL AREAS. ONE OF THOSE AREAS WAS CONEY ISLAND, IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.
THE AMUSEMENTS THERE HAVE ENTERTAINED PEOPLE FOR OVER 100 YEARS, BUT THE HURRICANE'S SEA
SURGE FLOODED RIDES AND GAMES. AND ONE OF THE FAMILIES BEHIND THE ATTRACTIONS WAS FORCED
TO REBUILD.
VOA'S ADAM PHILLIPS FOLLOWED THE VOURDERIS FAMILY THROUGHOUT THE WINTER AND JOINS US
NOW FROM NEW YORK. AND WE WANT TO ASK ADAM A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR REPORTING. ADAM,
WHAT HAPPENED TO THIS FAMILY BUSINESS, TO THIS FAMILY THAT YOU COVERED?
IT'S A WONDERFUL GREEK FAMILY, VERY DOWN TO EARTH, THEIR HEART IS COMPLETELY IN THE BUSINESS.
THEY BUILT A LOT OF THE RIDES THEMSELVES, AND THEY MAINTAIN THEM WITH TOOLS THAT DATE
BACK TO THE 1920S, WHEN THE BIG "WONDER WHEEL," WHICH MOST PEOPLE THINK OF AS A FERRIS WHEEL,
WAS BUILT. SO THEY ALSO HAVE THAT, AND THEY HAVE A THING CALLED THE "SPOOK-A-RAMA," WHICH
WAS KIND OF A FUN HORROR HOUSE, WITH A VERY KIND OF SCARY RIDE WITH ALL THESE SCARY MONSTERS
AND OTHER KINDS OF GHOULISH THINGS THAT JUMP OUT A PEOPLE ON CARS. AND THE SEA SURGE ALMOST
COMPLETELY DESTROYED EVERYTHING IN THE SPOOK HOUSE, WHICH WAS MOSTLY HAND MADE, AND SEVERELY
THREATENED THE VIABILITY OF THE WONDER WHEEL, AMONG ALL THE KIDDIE RIDES AND THINGS THAT
THEY HAD IN THIS AMUSEMENT AREA WITHIN CONEY ISLAND.
ALL RIGHT. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT ADAM'S REPORT AND COME RIGHT BACK.
FOR OVER A CENTURY, CONEY ISLAND HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR FUN, RELAXATION AND SEASIDE THRILLS.
BUT THAT DREAMLAND TURNED INTO A NIGHTMARE FOR THE VOURDERIS FAMILY ON OCTOBER 29TH,
WHEN A MASSIVE SEA SURGE FLOODED THEIR RIDES AND GAMES.
THEIR CENTURY-OLD WONDER WHEEL AND SPOOK HOUSE, FROM 1955, WERE NEARLY DESTROYED.
"WHEN WE GOT HERE AND SAW THE DEVASTATION, IT WAS LIKE A DEATH."
DENO VOURDERIS IS A THIRD GENERATION WORKER IN THIS FAMILY-OWNED BUSINESS.
"I MEAN FIGURATIVELY LIKE A DEATH, BECAUSE A LOT OF THE STUFF HAS HISTORY."
BUT THE FAMILY RESOLVED TO REBUILD. DENO WORKED WITH A FIVE-MAN CREW HE HAS KNOWN
SINCE HE WAS A BOY. THEY ASSISTED HIS FATHER, CO-OWNER STEVE VOURDERIS, WHO DIRECTED THE
CLEAN-UP AND RESTORATION.
"...WE'RE MEN AND WE DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. WE GET IT DONE."
STEVE'S BROTHER DENNIS VOURDERIS HANDLED LOGISTICS AND FINANCES. HE SAYS THE FAMILY HAD TO BORROW
A HUGE AMOUNT OF MONEY TO PAY FOR REPAIRS AND NEW EQUIPMENT. STILL, IT'S PROBABLY SAFE
TO SAY THAT NOWHERE HAVE THE RESULTS BEEN MORE FUN THAN HERE.
"WE LOVE YOU CONEY!!"
ADAM PHILLIPS, VOA NEWS, NEW YORK.
WE'RE BACK WITH ADAM PHILLIPS IN NEW YORK. ADAM, WHY DID YOU PARTICULARLY FOLLOW THIS
FAMILY? WHAT WAS SO UNIQUE ABOUT THEM?
WELL I GOT TO KNOW THEM A LITTLE BIT EARLIER IN THE SUMMER, BECAUSE WE WERE DOING A STORY
ON CONEY ISLAND AND HOW IT'S STILL A WONDERFUL PLACE TO GO FOR THE FAMILY, IT'S A LITTLE
BIT "CARNIVAL-ESQUE," I JUST KNEW THAT THEY WERE IN TROUBLE, BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT
WERE RIGHT ON THE COAST, THE ATLANTIC COAST, WERE FLOODED. AND I JUST KNEW THEY HAD A LOT
OF HEART, THEY REALLY CARED ABOUT THE BUSINESS, THEY REALLY LOVED THE FANS, AND I JUST THOUGHT
THEY COULD STAND IN FOR THE WHOLE, IN TERMS OF WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
IS NEARLY DESTROYED.
ABSOLUTELY, AND ADAM IT IS GREAT TO SEE THEM UP AND RUNNING AGAIN. VOA'S ADAM PHILLIPS
FOR US IN NEW YORK. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.