Brigantine Castle Online: Emails 2005

If you would like your memory of the castle posted on our page, please email it to us at webmaster@darkinthepark.com

FROM/DATE	CONTENT
12/1/05	Recently, I was thinking about The Brigantine Castle and just for fun started a search online for it. And I found this site. Wow! How much fun it has been the past few days reading all the emails that echo my sentiments, looking at the pictures of all the actors, and then watching the TV Commercials! Hahahaha! I loved those commercials! I remember when they would come on TV, I would just stop and watch... completely mesmerized! How bad I wanted to go to The Castle! I was a mere 9 years old when my parents first took me. I had to beg a little, but not that much because my folks (mainly Dad) was a huge fan of all things horror related. :-) I will never forget that first trip. Like some have already said on here.. seeing the Castle for the first time, just seeing it while driving up to it was an experience in itself! Then, walking up that ramp, chills running all through my body, I couldn't wait! I remember everything about it. Clinging to Dad, screaming and laughing, and just having the best time! The actors... ohhh, you all were so great! I cannot tell you all how much I have told people about The Brigantine Castle and all of you over the years! All of you were phenomenal! Bravo! As I said, I made 3 more trips after that first one, and how fun and thrilling it was everytime! I'm so sad The Castle is gone and it's now just a memory... but one I am so glad I had the opportunity to share in! Once again, a big thank you to allllll the actors, to the make up artists, management, etc etc... to all of you who put your heart and soul into it, I applaud you all!
11/28/05 Edwin Nelson	My name is Edwin Nelson and I was lucky enough to be a member of the Brigantine Castle Castle for the last 3 years. The memories I have from my experiences there are among the most cherished I have. For those of you reading this that share the knowledge of being a "monster" in the Castle or in any other haunted house, hayride or attraction, you understand. For those of you who reading who have not had similar experiences, if you can....by all means try to do so if you are able. Even if you only volunteer somewhere one Halloween, the stories you will have to tell with bring you a lifetime of warmth. In the brief time I was employed at the Castle I became acquainted with many people, some of whom are my closest friends to this day, as close as any blood relation a person can have. One of the people I met was a man by the name of Joe Little. His name was a source of pure irony because he easily stood 6'4" if not taller. When he donned the platform shoes, green makeup and metal bolts, he was one of the most imposing Frankenstein's Monsters to have ever scared a shoobie into the fetal position. The lobby halls would reverberate with the sound of his "WUUUUAAAAAOOOOOOOOO" sending terrified groups out the Back Door, his favorite post, as fast as they could run only to hit the small wrought iron fence just outside the exit. Many a pile-up would occur on busy summer nights that the rest of the cast would laugh themselves silly over and over. Joe Little passed away very suddenly yesterday. His wife Fran, also an actor at the Castle, with whom he would have celebrated 20 years of marriage this December, has asked that the "clarion call" be sounded. I am presently attempting to contact any people who worked with Joe at the Castle, or at any of the subsequent "Reunions" that were held at various locations around South Jersey. Please feel free to contact me at arachnoshinobi9@netzero.net if you would like to be notified as to when and where a service or memorial will be held or if you would like contact information to which condolences may be sent, should you be unable to attend. Best wishes to all this holiday and remember that time waits for no one. Find your fellow monsters and get them to tell their stories.
David Traylor 11/16/05	First of all thanks for the wonderful website. The photographs and everything. It's a great trek down memory lane. My name is David Traylor. I was one of the Dracula's and various other monsters at the castle in the summer of '77. It was a great learning experience and what I learned I have used ever since. I have so many memories of that time it's hard to pick out just one. Having read the site there is one thing that comes to mind. Where are all the monsters I worked with and what are they doing now? I suppose this could make for a whole other web site. But where are Barbara Pinolini, Valerie Foxworth, Bob Bundance, Karen Gabura and all the others that made that experience such a treasure? What is Mr. Ricci doing now? Sandy? Anthony? If anybody knows please drop me a line at: mrzed@mrzed.com. If anybody's interested in what I've been up to these last 28 or so years please come by my site: http://www.mrzed.com or you can look me up on the imdb. I'm known as David Zed now, and I live in Rome Italy.
9/12/05	I don't remember the exact years I worked there but I do remember working with Sandy. that was weird cause the 2 of us went to high school together. I do remember a guy named Phil as manager one year I can't recall his last name. my daughter was about 2 or 3 (1976-77) when her dad brought her to watch mommy get into makeup so she wouldn't be so scared-----she watched the whole process and at the end declared "that's not MY mommy"! I remember once we were in makeup we weren't allowed out on the pier so we had runners----local kids---go get drinks and lunch or dinner for us. those kids made a fortune in tips off of us lol I miss back home---I miss the fun we had working the castle. I roved a lot which was fine with me, and worked the bell tower, and once got to be the bride of Frankenstein which was a hoot cause I scared the bejeezez out of a girl---her boyfriend loved it too. when the reunion was done at the AC racetrack a lot of us brought our kids and we soon found out that they are just as demented and twisted as we are :-) thanks for the great web page----gave me a lot of fond memories of a few summers I had the time of my life and got paid for it!!!
Ginger 7/20/05	My name is Ginger and I worked at the Castle from 1980-83. I had the best times with the other cast members and befriended a few pier employees as well. I am still an actress and did a lot of work in various productions and extra work in film in New York. I am a single mother of two kids which only allowed me to perform occasionally through their lives. Some of characters I used to do was Joan Rivers Rat Professor and I remember Billy Crystal and his family came in and laughed at me. I WAS USUALLY COMICAL INSTEAD OF SCARY. I did do a scary butler though as a freaky maid. I gave some guy a heart attack in the tilt room when I started screaming, as a little girl "Get out of my room!!" This man literally keeled over and they had to bring rescue workers up there to carry him out. I felt so bad. I dabbled in a lot of parts and had a blast! We had such good times after work hanging out. I remember Seth, Mary Ann, Shelby ( God Bless her), Kevin Silly, Monica Silly, Mike Spatola, Paul Spatola, Edwin, Todd and so many more. This experience stays with me always and I tell my kids stories. The castle was so great and I miss those days!
Andrea 7/2/05	I remember the Castle, I thought it was the best Haunted House ever!!! I vividly remember being chased through the Castle by Lizzie Borden with her ax. I ran all the way back to where we were staying. My brothers could not stop laughing! I wish this place still existed. Each year when we go to vacation in Brigantine, I have to go see the pilings, recall all the awesome times I had there! This year, I took pictures of the pilings. The other super scary part of the Castle was the rat room. Well, I thank you, for letting me reminisce about this ultra cool place!!!!