Oct 2: The Prince of Mermaid Avenue: A Film By Charles Denso

coney island history proj

"The Prince of Mermaid Avenue"

A Film by Charles Denson

http://www.coneyislandhistory.org/news/?p=232

Opening Night of The Coney Island Film Festival
October 2, Friday, 7:30 pm at Coney Island USA


Jimmy Prince was the last link to what Mermaid Avenue meant to Coney
Island in the “good old days.” The Avenue was once a bustling street
of family-run mom-and-pop stores. Each block had bakeries,
luncheonettes, five-and-dimes, clothing and shoe stores, furniture
stores, delis, and butchers. It was a tight-knit community.

The city’s urban renewal plan of the 1960s called for the demolition
of the entire West End, including Mermaid Avenue, and few businesses
survived the development onslaught. Jimmy Prince transformed his Major
Meat Market into the soul of an earlier era, a cordial oasis of
tradition and hope, a throwback to what Coney Island was and what many
dreamed it could be again one day. Prince worked at Major’s for sixty
years, seven days a week, twelve hours a day, and formed a unique
relationship with a community that hungered for respect.

When he finally faced retirement, it became a painful process that
dragged on for over a year, just as the city was heralding another master plan. He dreaded making a formal announcement about the store’s closing, but his friends could sense it was coming. His loyal customers expressed their love for him and their fear for a future without him. This film documents Jimmy’s decision to retire and the painful process of leaving the Coney Island community that he loved and supported for so many years.

Historian Charles Denson is a Coney Island native, author of the award winning book Coney Island Lost and Found, and Executive Director of the Coney Island History Project. Jimmy Prince is the History Project's "Distinguished Historian" and worked at the CIHP exhibition center over the summer
http://www.coneyislandhistory.org/news/?m=200902

Screening venue for The Prince of Mermaid Avenue
Coney Island Museum
1208 Surf Ave. 2nd Floor
(please note: this venue is not wheelchair accessible)

Tickets for screening are $6, advance purchase recommended
Advance tickets & festival info @ www.coneyislandfilmfestival.com/