Vourderis' family perseverence keeps Deno’s Wonder Wheel turning
AT: Tim Baldwin
tbaldwin@amusementtoday.com
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — It has been featured in films for decades, even into this last year. To say New York’s Wonder Wheel is iconic would be an understatement. Standing at 150 feet tall, it is a globally recognized attraction with its thrilling rolling cars.
Built in 1920, the Wonder Wheel was designed by Charles Hermann and operated by Herman Garms Sr. and his family for more than six decades. In 1983, the Wheel was sold to the Vourderis Family who still oversee the operation of the ride.
“Let me start with an interesting story about the perseverance of the original builders,” said DJ Vourderis. “This is what I think happened based on what we see on the Wonder Wheel now and photos taken in the early 1920s. When the Wonder Wheel opened in 1920, it is my opinion that it was too heavy for the main axle, and at one point during the first year, the main axle cracked. Rather than scrap the Wheel, they figured it out, and came up with a way to make the Wheel turn without any weight on the main axle.”
According to Vourderis, it was an ingenious idea and remained a secret for many years.
“One time, we had a new ride inspector climb up to do our city inspections, and he panicked, screaming, ‘Close the ride!’ After we showed him how the axle was actually floating and did not bear any weight, he calmed down. The Wonder Wheel has operated without its main axle holding weight at its ends for more than 100 years and counting. In fact, it is probably because of this modification in 1921 that the Wheel is still going strong to this day.”
Within the hands of the Vourderis family, they hired a paint shop to repaint the Wheel.
“On that job, we met a man named Jorge Gallegos. He fell in love with the Wheel. He left the paint shop to come work with us, and he is still here today,” Vourderis told Amusement Today. “If you come to Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park and ride the Wheel between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., you will see him up in the center, greasing and checking everything out. Our welder is Tom Bonsignore, and we met Tom when our previous welder Bob Bonsignore, Tom’s dad, retired. We are a family business through and through.”
DJ Vourderis, winner of Amusement Today’s Golden Ticket Awards for Leadership in 2021, recognizes the value of dedication from his employees and doesn’t fail to praise them.
“There is also Reggie Pryor. Reggie fills in all the gaps and gets things done. These guys are like uncles to my cousins, brothers and me. We’ve all been to each other’s weddings, kids’ birthdays, christenings, etc. We have become family through love. And it is all up to us to get it right. It is a labor, yes, but one filled with love and teamwork. Love makes the Wheel go round.”
As much as that loving dedication makes things work, the preservation of the ride also comes with some challenges.
“When my grandfather Deno took over the Wonder Wheel from the original owners, it needed some TLC,” Vourderis said. “I think they sold it to my family because they believed in us. They saw in my grandfather Deno an immigrant that was hungry to make his mark on this world. And this immigrant and his family got the job done. They definitely could have gotten more money selling to someone else. Since there is no manufacturer, it is all on us to get and make parts for the Wonder Wheel.”
Of the aforementioned main axle, keeping the system working involves extensive maintenance.
“Because there is no manufacturer, we have to make the parts ourselves,” he shared with AT. “Sometimes that means we cut things in our shop (located underneath our kiddie park), sometimes we need to contract a machine shop. And more recently, we have started to 3-D print our own parts. However, all the supports for the Wheel are still steel.”
It was actually a different ride that prompted the park to acquire a 3-D printer.
“There was a problem with the bushings on a brand-new ride we opened,” he said. “When we tried to get the part from Italy, it was unavailable. Rather than keep the ride closed all season, we printed our own. Since then, the 3-D printer has been used more and more. It’s great for small things like bushings, and many of our older Mangels rides, another manufacturer that is no longer around. Sometimes plastic can be better. These rides are very old, and each vehicle has different amounts of wear. The 3-D printer allows us to print specific parts for each vehicle to make up for the different amounts of wear. In many cases these bushings are self-lubricating, so it helps with day-to-day maintenance too.”
The Wonder Wheel is painted every year.
“We are constantly looking for rust spots, and when they are identified, we use a 40,000 psi water blaster to take the old paint off,” Vourderis noted. “We prime in the wintertime and wait for the weather to warm up a little before putting on a fresh coat of ‘Wonder Wheel Green.’ And yes, the color is named after the Wonder Wheel. It’s an ongoing struggle, being so close to the ocean, but it is essential in preserving that 104-year-old Bethlehem Steel.”
Vourderis owes the longevity of the ride to dedication and perseverance.
“We train our employees by example. There is no job in the park that the family doesn’t also do. Whether that’s climbing the Wonder Wheel or sweeping the floor. We are a team, and we make sure everyone who works with us knows that. Our maintenance crew consists of family, and the guys mentioned before who have become family. There are some things that cannot be taught but only learned in time. Maintenance on the Wonder Wheel is one of those things. Most importantly, you have to love it. Because it’s not just a job. It is a labor of love. And if you don’t love it with all your heart, you won’t put into this job what it needs.”
Creating a friendly atmosphere sometimes means admitting you’re human, according to Vourderis. “It seems like today, we have to show so much strength, but saying I’m sorry is sometimes the strongest thing anyone can do.”
New York City designated the Wonder Wheel as an official New York City Landmark in 1989.
“It is the jewel of Coney Island, as my father Steve likes to say,” Vourderis smiled. “And it was my father that gave so much of himself to the Wonder Wheel. I really don’t think it would be here without him, and his brother (my Godfather), Dennis. Today, my mother Stacy is the heart and soul of the park. We as a family continue to pour our hearts and strength into keeping the most romantic ride in the world turning. Every time we think we can’t do it anymore, we see an engagement, smile, kiss, hug, whatever; we see the joy that the amusement industry can provide. And we are a part of that. For that I am proud and grateful.”
