~QUASSARS QUIZ~MYSTERY ROCKET CAR????
TO BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS ONE MYSELF, I NEVER WORKED WITH CRESSO, SO POSSIBLY IT IS HIS. HOPEFULLY SOMEONE OUT THERE CAN TELL US, HOW ABOUT IT EDDIE V.?
posted by 24-HOUR-MAN | 11:27 AM
YESTERDAY'S TOWNS
HOWDY, MY NAME IS BILL STRONG, I'LL BE YOUR "24 HOUR MAN", ROUTING YOU INTO THE PAST TO SEE WHAT THE CIRCUS WAS IN DAYS GONE BY. IF YOU'RE LIKE ME, AND MISS WHAT IT USED TO BE, THEN COME ON ALONG AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD FOLLOWING THE ARROWS BACKWARDS, TO "YESTERDAY'S TOWNS"! IF YOU HAVE CIRCUS RELATED PICTURES YOU WOULD LIKE POSTED, SEND THEM TO,,,,yesterday1@verizon.net,,,,AND WE WILL TRY TO FIT THEM IN. "24 HOUR MAN" WILL HAVE THE FINAL DECISION ON POSTING.
About Me
- Name: 24-HOUR-MAN
- Location: GIBSONTON, FLORIDA, United States
Three years at CWM made me a real traditionalist, and I keep remembering Bob Parkinson saying, "I want the people to see what the circus used to be, not what it is today. That's what this site is about!
- ~TODAY ~ORCHIDS FOR TWO LOVELY LADIES~
- ~CELEBRATING~~~~ FIFTY YEARS~
- ~50 YEARS~ #2: THE CEREMONY
- ~50 YEARS~ #3: WEDDING PICTURES
- ~50 YEARS~ #4: THE RECEPTION
- ~50 YEARS~#5: GUESTS
- ~50 YEARS~ #6: OPENING GIFTS
- ~FOR DALE~ YOU ASKED FOR IT~"YETTY"~
- ~HOW HIGH IS YOUR RIGGING?~
- HOW HIGH? #2: HIGH POLES & SINGLE LADDERS
11 Comments:
Cresso' Rocket Car played the
Commack (builing) season
opening date in the early 60s
Cresso (not his name) had
adopted a young kid to put in
the very crudely built car
The seat belt was firmly
attached to the seat but the
seat was poorly attached to
the car and came loose on at
least a few occasions I saw
The landing device was a pipe
frame that had a basket weave
pattern of canvas strips that
were cranked up on either side
so they would be unrolled at
the point of impact of the
tumbling car and driver
Often the boy's helmet was the
primary point of impact and
at two performances I witnessed
the entire car bounced out of
the frame and hit the ground
The kid was given a handfull
of wooden kitchen matches in
order to light the gerbs just
prior to the release and often
broke several with his shaking
fingers before he could get it
Sure was exciting
PS (building not builing)
This photo doesn't look
like Cresso's car but one
very similar
Sounds very similar to the Rassini Car history, I remember one of the drivers for Rassini had the nickname "corpse".
That name probably could have
been used for each of them
This doesn't look like Cresso's car. Both Rasini and Cresso had similar riggings. Both cars were motorcycle sidecars turned around so the bullet end was the front. I have a photo of the rigging that Rasini and Cresso's car were based on and it doesn't look like this. I like the description of the Rocket car in Commack, it was fairly accurate. I wasn't the boy in Commack, but I remember trying to light the fireworks with the oversize kitchen matchs Rasini gave me. Eddy Ventura
Thanks Eddy
I wasn't "the boy" either but
I was there to see it as I
worked the date in lighting
and sound and remember well
One of the "boys" was a kid from Sarasota named Jimmy Tindal, possibly out of the Sailer Circus. I don't know if he ever worked it or wisely walked after coming on and seeing the car bounce out of the net.
cc
That is if it made it to the net at all.
At an Aerial Thrill show in Edmonton the car got off track & missed the trip that made it somersault. It did a half gainer, lande upside down short of the net putting Eddie Ventura in the hospital. The next day Barnes-Caruthers rep. Randy Avery called a meeting of the other acts,(The Arturos,Alex Albani, Les Parker, & myself), to ask us if we could tear the rigging down for him. Before he even finished, "Papa" Arturo was on his feet heading for the door, saying,"come on guys let's get it done".
Man what a bunch of "pig iron" that was, I have to hand it to Eddie, doing that job by himself.
Sitting in the car was the easy part, putting it up and down and making it work, most of the time, was the work. If I forgot to says thanks for that help years ago then let me say it now to all the people that are still around including yourself Bill. Thanks!
No you didn't forget to say Thanks, & we were glad to help out, I know through the years I have seen you jump in & lend a hand without being asked.
In a conversation with Ian Garden Sr. recently we were discussing the past compared to now, his remark was, "We had the best of it", & of my personal experiences, he is right.
From some rock n roll song
"You don't know what you've
got til it's gone"
Then I think it's something
about paving paradise and
and putting up a parking lot
We truly had the best of it
Much easier driving stakes
in paradise
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