The freak figures made by Snap Wyatt
at his shop (see below) which set
back off highway 41 a little South
of 22 Ave (now Causeway Blvd) When
41 was widened to its present size
the building was closer to the
highway and is now a place that
fabricates children's swing sets
etc. He made those figures for Joe
Sciortino, who was mainly a Big-Time
Girl Show operated with several
units working. He had beautiful
fronts. He was a great builder. In
I955 Snap made the figures for Joe
who in I956 built what appeared to
be a big ten in one, but without
live acts.
It was titled "Barnums Museum with a
great door banner with Barnum's
portrait. Stuart Mill was the inside
lecturer and tried to do a magic
package pitch. The show played some
big spots including Detroit Mich
which was second or third biggest
fair at that time. This was probably
the first big sideshow museum, and
the public was used to seeing real
freaks.
When they got in there and realized
what it was, the show got a lot of
heat. I believe he only
operated it that year. The next
season he built a big sit down jig
show, with a big route but Joe
wasn't happy with it so then he only
operated girl shows.
In the winter he started renting out
his tents and a few years later went
into tent rental full time going all
over the country with "Tapa Tent
Rental". After Joe died his
son Tommy in time' turned it into a
tent manufacturing co.
Tommy is a good friend.. His:
"Amusement Canvas Outfitters" makes
the finest of tents. Joe sold the
museum show to "Dude" Steinmetz, who
operated ten in one for many years.
I don't know if he ever used the
Snap Wyatt figures. He sold them to
Harvey Boswell. He had them for
quite a while and sold them to Hall
and Christ for a permanent oddities
museum on the boardwalk at Seaside
Heights N J where we already had an
eighty five figure celebrity museum
"20th Century Wax". When the city
put a street through and we lost
both of our
buildings, Chris took the huge "Gay
New Orleans" jig show front that was
built for Goodings Million Dollar
Midways by Teo Zachinni in I956.
They discontinued the show in early
70s, when we bought it to have a
different look Chris designed the
front with a bright red background,
with the montage of attractions. We
had it in Dallas in I think I was
I974 and it was always a big winner.
Henry Valentine managed it for some
years and our last season with it
was I987 when we sold it to Henry
Valentine. I'm not sure but Henry my
have taken it out of that big semi
and reframe it in a tow trailer. I
don't know the year but Henry sold
the show with the original six or
was it eight Snap Wyatt figures to
John Strong.
In I967 Hall and Christ bought the
sideshow frame up from Steinmetz
with a non interest loan from Milt
Kaufman and Hal Eifort who booked us
on their Goodings Million Dollar
Midways, which at that time had the
strongest route in the U S. We were
there for about ten years.
Cordially, Ward Hall
