THE SHOOBIE SHUFFLE - TALES FROM WILDWOOD FANATICS, NEAR & FAR. . .
Christine Lucindo: Memories A Go-Go

1969 Newspaper Advertisement

Christine Lucido wasn’t really sure what to make of Wildwood, upon her arrival in April 1967. She knew of the town’s reputation as an entertainment mecca - a magnet for many of the top performers of the era and a proving ground for countless stars-in-the making.

But what she initially encountered was quite different. Most of the famous nightclubs and restaurants were closed; the motels sat dormant, still in a state of winter slumber. Ocean breezes whistled loudly through the unlit neon marquees on the Boardwalk, a virtual ghost town.

“I saw a quaint, quiet, lazy shore town,” she recalls. “That was my first impression. And then, Memorial Day Weekend came, and all of a sudden, everything changed.”

As if a switch had been pulled, she recalls, the island became “a living, breathing, pulsating being that would soon show me the most exciting and fun time of my life.”

One year removed from high school, the then-19-yearold Lucido had come to Wildwood from Cleveland, Ohio. As a member of the dance troupe - Joe Cavalier and his Girls a la Carte - she was booked to perform at the Hurricane East for the entire summer.

It was a whirlwind time for Lucido, who just weeks earlier had been vacationing in Miami Beach, away from home for the first time. It was there that she had a chance encounter with Cavalier that would have a huge impact on her future.

“My friend and I were patrons at a nightclub,” she recalled. “Joe Cavalier saw me and asked if I danced. I auditioned for his troupe and was hired. The very next day, I was working at the Castaways club. And weeks later, there I was in Wildwood.”

Lucido would go on to perform for three summers in Wildwood and had two appearances in Atlantic City, at the infamous 500 Club. “That was where Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis got their start,” she noted.

“We had bookings from small clubs in Pittsburgh and Columbus, Ohio, to a six-month appearance at the Fontainbleau Hotel in Miami Beach, and even a threemonth stint at a hotel in San Juan.

“But, I have to say, my favorite place to perform was always Wildwood.”

The troupe - which included a dancers, singers, comedians, and a band - would generally report for work in April or May to put together a new show and rehearse. A regular summer schedule would include two performances a night, seven days a week until Labor Day.

“At the Hurricane East, our hosts were Joe Stamile and his partner Sylvan Rosenfeld. If you came to our show, you’d see feathered showgirls, a real Vegasstyle revue. Joe Cavalier knew how to entertain.

“Believe it or not, people would line the street outside, waiting for a seat. It was family entertainment; mom and dad would sip a cocktail and the kids would enjoy their Shirley Temples with the little umbrellas on top, feeling all grown up.

“I don’t know who had more fun, the audience or the entertainers.”

Recently, Lucido returned to vacation in the Wildwoods after a 40-year absence. Her memories made the stay all the more enjoyable.

“Driving through the streets of Wildwood brought it all back. I remember hitting the beach after rehearsals; that was a daily ritual. Then, when the neon lights replaced the glow of the sun, the excitement began. Not only at the Hurricane but also, the Stardust, where one could be entertained by the Platters, Pat Cooper, Jerry Vale, Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and many more top entertainers of the time.

“Music filled the air, literally. Many bars had live music and on those hot summer nights, with the doors open wide, one could hear the sounds of Cook E. Jarr and The Krums and also, the Panic Buttons from South Philly, providing great entertainment into the early hours of the morning.”

When the end of summer arrived, Lucido remembered, the crowds would leave and Wildwood would revert back to its peacefully, sleepy offseason state.

When the end of summer arrived, Lucido remembered, the crowds would leave and Wildwood would revert back to its peacefully, sleepy offseason state.

Lucido concedes that the island has changed in some ways since her first visit back in ’67. But its essence remains the same.

“I’ll always remember the friendly people, the excitement of the warm summer nights, all of the fun. I really enjoyed my recent Wildwood vacation. It’s still such a unique, special place. I also enjoy my trips back through time, which I have through my memories.

“I am so fortunate to have been able to experience it all.”