CNT/SEP-2010
Reminiscing times with William F. “Bill” Mangels, III, a True Treasure
By Richard Concepcion with Lisa Pisano Haley
This past April, Bill Mangels [III] passed away. He was the direct grandson of William F. Mangels, Coney Island’s great builder of amusement rides and carousels, and for a time, Bill painted carousel horses in his grandfather’s factory. In his presence, you couldn’t help feeling that you were with an elder statesman and witness to the history of the amusement industry as it sprang from Coney Island, in particular the art of the carousel. Indeed it was the late Fred Fried, founder of the carousel preservation movement and a close friend of Bill, who introduced him to us at an NCA convention and meetings in New York.
Bill Mangels with Rapid T. Rabbit in 2005.
Bill, along with his wife, Dot Mangels, became close friends of ours as well. He always had an interesting story to tell – my favorite being about when he was younger, and would paint horses for his grandfather in the Mangels shop. They were the little metal Mangels kiddie ride horses. He would sometimes take his time painting them, and when his grandfather would “catch him wasting time” on the horses, he would wave his cane at Bill and shout “paint faster Bill!”
Bill and Dot shared some memorable times with us. He would attend meetings with us along with Tony Simpson, Ruth Peterkin, and others at Fred Fried’s apartment when we were working on the Northeast Chapter of the NCA. Once we all went together to Nunleys Carousel in Baldwin, NY, on Long Island. We all enjoyed some hamburgers and rode on the Stein & Goldstein/Mix carousel. We saw Gavin McDonough building a new organ for Rye Playland’s carousel in his shop. We all enjoyed a good laugh when Playland staff sign painter, Larry McGowan, used his piano playing talents to demonstrate what a carousel band organ would sound like if its paper roll was tracking out of alignment – those were fun times. After another NCA/NE meeting at Fred Fried’s, we all went to Central Park to ride the carousel, and sadly this would turn out to be the last time we would all see our friend Fred Fried alive.
Tammy Abramson, Noreene Sweeney and Bill Mangels spin in the tub on Pueblo’s C. W. Parker #72 during the 1994 NCA Convention in Colorado.
With Bill, we attended the 1994 National Carousel Convention in Colorado and rode on PTC #6 together in Burlington, as well as the full-size Mangels Whip Ride at Lakeside Park in Denver. Lisa remembers Bill putting his arm over the back of the seat on the Whip and saying to her, “Now you get to ride in a real Mangels Whip with Bill Mangels!” What a ride. We laughed the whole time. Indeed, there are several classic amusement parks that I have visited this season which still have a Mangels Whip, with each car having an oval plate bearing the Mangels name from Coney Island.
Bill and Dot always sent us Christmas cards for the holidays. In our Christmas cards to them, Lisa would often use photos of vintage Mangels rides she had photographed that summer with her son. The last time we both saw Bill and Dot was at the Coney Island Hall of Fame ceremony in 2005, sponsored by the Coney Island History Project, led by Charles Denson, who authored “Coney Island Lost & Found”. I was the one who put Charles in touch with Bill, so Bill could be present for the occasion as his grandfather was honored for his role in the resort’s and amusement industry’s colorful history. We both felt personally proud to have made it possible for Bill to accept the awards on behalf of his grandfather’s achievements that day and to hear Charles Denson declaring from the podium “William Mangels…back again in Coney Island!” I also interviewed Bill for the Rapid T. Rabbit Show on cable TV during the ceremonies.
When one hears the word “treasure”, they often think of a piece of fine art hanging in a museum, a skillfully crafted statue or delicately crafted piece of jewelry glittering with gold and precious stones. But we knew a person who was a true treasure – more wonderful than a piece of art – he sparkled more than any gold or jewels could. He was filled with a wealth of stories, information, knowledge and friendship. He made the world a brighter place and brought happiness to all around him – he made us smile. How much richer our lives are now, having had the honor to have known Bill Mangels, heard his stories, and shared good times with him. How much poorer the whole world is now that he is gone. Bill will be missed by us and all the lives he has touched.
