3 BRONX WEEKLY December 22, 2019 www.BXTimes.com
The defi nitive history of Freedomland revealed in detail
BY KYLE VUILLE
The long forgotten past of pre-Co-op
City/Bay Plaza history comes to life with
the release of ‘Freedomland USA The Defi
nitive History’ by Michael R. Virgintino.
Freedomland was once a thriving All-
American amusement park built on an
undeveloped marshland along I-95, just
northwest of the Hutchinson River Parkway
. Virgintino presented a brief overview
of his book and opened up a discussion
with the Forum of Italian American Educators
(FIAME) at the Morris Park Community
Center, 1824 Bronxdale Avenue
last Thursday.
Virgintino’s interest in Freedomland
was sparked by his cherished memories
of attending the USA-themed park as a
young boy in the 1960s.
While growing up on Mickle Avenue,
a short distance from Freedomland,he
attended Holy Rosary Catholic School as
well as Cardinal Spellman High School.
He then moved on to study journalism at
Fordham University in the 1970s.
He said his early infl uences in journalism
were the great Walter Cronkite as
well as Charles Osgood, who he had met
several times during his time at Fordham
and initially piqued his interest in radio
journalism.
Throughout his years as a journalist,
Virgintino found himself writing articles
from time to time about the history of
Freedomland.
“I’d always look at historical aspects of
different things and people and where it fi t
into the timeline of businesses, and time
and time again, things always traced back
to Freedomland,” Virgintino said.
After a friend asked him to write the introduction
on Freedomland in a chronicle
covering all the early American amusement
parks, a publisher at Theme Park
Press asked if Virgintino had interest in
writing a book on Freedomland himself.
Virgintino stepped up to the call.
Even though he already possessed extensive
knowledge of the park, the journalist
inside of him yearned to learn even
more about the amusement park of his
childhood.
He said around the beginning of Facebook’s
popularity, he created a page dedicated
to the lost American theme park.
“I started seeing different memory
pages on Facebook, but realized there
wasn’t one for Freedomland,” Virgintino
said, “And I didn’t want just the memories,
I wanted more on the attractions, the
character actors, the events and how it all
started.”
Using dedicated Facebook, Twitter and
Instagram accounts, he amassed more
and more stories from former employeess
and families of former employees coming
out of the woodwork.
Virgintino said he spent the following
eight years reaching out to anyone who
was involved in the creation, development
and production of the park to hear their
stories.
Most importantly, he wanted to answer
the question that remained in the minds
of many baby boomers: “Where’d it go,
Why did they develop those apartments
over my beloved Freedomland?’
“I turned over every stone to fi nd out
everything I could,” Virgintino said.
Incorporating all his prior knowledge
on the history of the park and the many
personal anecdotes make for a multi-faceted
book gorged with information.
The book, ‘Freedomland U.S.A. The
Defi nitive History’ has 30 chapters that
chronicle C.V. Wood’s (creator of the park
and Disneyland) conception of the park to
its inevitable bankruptcy and the mysteries
behind its demise.
The book chronicles the park’s many
attractions such as the Wild, Wild West,
the Chicago Fire and Old New York, as
well as its generous helpings of celebrity
appearances during its fi ve-year history,
from 1960 to 1964.
As for Virgintino, he had found the
greatest pleasure in keeping Freedomland
in the spotlight for future generations to
come.
“I’m pleased (Freedomland) is being
remembered, and being put back in its
proper place,” Virgintino said. “It was
something never seen before and it will
never be seen again.”
The book is available on Amazon
(http://amzn.com/1683901770) at the suggested
retail price of $24.95. It also can be
located on eBay and Goodreads.
Author of “Freedomland U.S.A. The Defi nitive History” Michael Virgintino signs a copy of his book at
the Morris Park Community Center before he gave his presentation to the Forum of Italian American
Educators last Thursday December 12. Virgintino’s book chronicles the complete history of Freedomland
and the many stories behind the “Disneyland of the East.” Photo by Kyle Vuille/Schneps Media
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