Sealing the wood to withstand the upcoming cold winter months.It's on the annual checklist for Denos Vourderis. The 26-year-old has been working here for years. His family operates Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, a Coney Island amusement park.

"Being a family-run business in awesome," says Vourderis.  "I've only worked here my whole life. I can't imagine working anywhere else."

While Denos tackles the fence, his cousin Teddy paints the landmark ferris wheel.

 

What You Need To Know

  • Amusement parks never opened this year because of the pandemic

  • The Coney Island amusement season usually lasts through Halloween

  • At Deno’s Wonder Wheel Park, winterizing work started earlier than ever

  • Denos Vourderis, whose family owns the Wonder Wheel, is hopeful rides will spin again in April

 

For the Vourderis family, this job is not just a livelihood. It's a legacy. Denos carries the name of his grandfather, the patriarch who bought the iconic Wonder Wheel in 1983.

"I'm named after my grandfather Denos. And he was a Greek immigrant who came to this country and fulfilled the American dream," says Vourderis.

But then, a wake-up call. The coronavirus pandemic forced all of the rides to be shut down this year. Still, the work to upkeep the park remains.

"We did not know when we were going to open," says Vourderis. "We still don't know when we're going to open. Unknowns are very stressful in any business or any situation I feel. In regular season, I know I'm going to need a certain amount of people by Memorial Day. I know I need a certain amount of people by July 4. This year was a little different you know."

Winterizing work started earlier than ever with no amusement season. The hope now is for the rides to spin April 2021.

"And we'll be ready for everyone to come down," says Vourderis. "We'll be super excited, we'll be super happy, and that's the hope that we have."

And a dedication to keep his grandfather's dream alive.