January 6, 1978 - Tornado, roller coaster at Coney Island, after being destroyed by fire in December

[@caractacuspotts7914]

Thank you for posting this video. My dad is the fire chief being interviewed by Gabe Pressman. Dad passed in 2012, and it was really nice to hear his voice again. Thank you again

[@eyestoenvy]

That was a brutal blow to Coney Island, it was an epic ride. The first banking drop, those tight banking turns, beautiful airtime loaded hills .... it was way ahead of its time. That underground run from the station towards the chain lift hill was also an epic concept for its time. And all the business it had built into it on street level, smart way to generate extra income for the owner too. If there was ever one to find the blueprints for and rebuild it was this one, the TORNADO.

[@Slickmickyoyo97]

03:25 "And probably, it will never be what it once was." 45 years later, It's more beautiful than ever now!

[@luislaplume8261]

Bullseye! You are absolutely right! 😊

[@e.l.norton]

😂😂😂😂 What?! To say that, you have no idea what Coney Island used to be. Coney Island is an absolute dump, now. A dump. It has been for at least 50 years. It's marginally better now than it was back in the 70s. But, that's like saying a pile of shit doesn't smell as bad as it did yesterday. Coney Island will NEVER be what it was in its prime. And, what it is today bears NO resemblance to that apart from the name.

[@fncz]

It was a great ride!! SMALL BUT MIGHTY!!! Some of the tightest turns I ever rode!

[@fuhry]

I rode this coaster in June of 77 (I was 10 years old) when my brothers and our friend Matt cut the last day of school to go to Coney Island. Rode the Cyclone, the Tornado, and the Thunderbolt. WIthin a few months the Tornado would be gone, a few years later, the Thunderbolt as well. Glad I got to ride it though.

[@guymandudely324]

I remember this fire. Arsonists were torching swaths of Coney Island in the 70's. My favorite ride was the Bobsled, right near the Tornado. RIP Coney Island of my youth 😢

[@eightintheblock]

great loss ...Tornado was so unique !

[@purplemindarcana533]

It died such an untimely, tragic death. It was my favorite coaster. Always wound up a little bruised after with those turns, but what fun! And surprise drops! What could anyone have against it or hate it so much they wanted to torch it?

[@kennethestes4741]

Greed brother just pure greed insurance payout

[@robertmoir-vj1kq]

I remember January 6th 1978 it was a good day I think a lot of things will never be what they used to be it really sucks too

[@fncz]

There were three separate fires that winter on the TORNADO!! It wasn't the operators! They planned on rebuilding and reopening up to the third one. I used to call the operator at a hardware store in Coney or Brooklyn. So sad!

[@shrubduh8229]

Frank Czuri how do you record this time of 1978

[@mlessack1]

Lenny, just saw you in the interview. if you read this get in touch with me, Michael.

[@awilliams4543]

😂 Coney Island is the gateway to NYC. HOME to Capone where he held a job on the boardwalk. Home of the Hot dog

[@jacquelinehanseb5114]

Gabe Pressman should see it now ]

[@royrogers4025]

I worked at this park in winter and spring of 1979, 2:49 mark for a man named Joe. I was 15 and would meet Bobby and Jean Noell and start working for Bobby at Thunderbolt Park Coney Island.

[@TravelingMan63]

Arson?

[@Piggy-Oink-Oink]

yes

[@eyestoenvy]

Sadly yes

[@alterman156channel]

Arson was a serious issue in Coney Island at the time. Too bad that the Tornado roller coaster was lost at the time. The owners probably did not want to put anymore money into it since they felt that it would still be a target for arsonists. A portion of the coaster train still survives to the best of my knowledge. Not sure about the blueprints or any plans for the roller coaster. It would be great if the Tornado could be recreated. However it would be quite difficult to have another wooden roller coaster built in Coney Island due to strict New York City building codes. If it was like the Thunderbolt and the Cyclone, the structure would be steel and only the tracks would be wood. However I would not be sure if that would comply with current New York City building codes.

[@Supervillainmc]

Sad

[@luislaplume8261]

It is called The Cyclone not the Tornado! I should know I am a New Yorker who grew up in NYC during the Mad Men era.

[@robertnussberger6449]

That's a different coaster There was a few there just like the cyclone . There was one where the baseball field is now till about 1997 in ruins

[@luislaplume8261]

@@robertnussberger6449 Apparently you live in Coney Island or are a historian. Thank you! 😁

[@robertnussberger6449]

@luislaplume8261 yes I do Been going there since the 1970s So if you want to know facts Let me know ok

[@luislaplume8261]

@@robertnussberger6449 Well, I lived a few miles from there in the Borough of Queens. The shortest way was the J line to Eastern Parkway Broadway Junction take A train to Franklin Avenue, get off and up the wooden staircase for the Franklin Avenue shuttle and take the D train to Coney Island. By the way half of the old 1888 vintage el train station was still there and had wooden roofs and platforms before demolition and modernized in the 1990s!

[@eyestoenvy]

It's the TORNADO, Coney had several classic coasters & etc once upon a time. Cyclone, Tornado, Thunderbolt, The Bobs, The Steeplechase Ride, etc

[@rollercoastermaniac2]

Thats sad :(

[@jimdouglas43]

Owner owed money and wise guys burned it

[@stephentresca3536]

The downfall of Coney Island started in 1966 when Fred Trump destroyed Steeple Chase building. Long story, look it up.

[@janetriggione6637]

The mob had control over coney islands

[@Mike-ky9jz]

Arson.