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 29, 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, figuratively like a death," said Deno Vourderis, a third generation worker in his 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," Vourderis said.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.“But what hurts more is when you have an old piece of equipment that has been around for 70 or 80 years that was underwater and you know it can’t be restored.So that’s especially painful to throw away," he said.Three months of solid labor later, the Wonder Wheel is refashioned, the kiddie rides are buffed up, and the Scary House’s gimmicks have been restored or replaced.
