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Fatty Arbuckle (center) riding in The Whip, one of William F. Mangels' classic rides. At one time, Mangels had 500 of them in operation.

It took a ‘cranky,’ dour immigrant to make Coney Island the capital of fun

Culture

William Mangels was the stereotypical German: meticulous, perfectionist and not that much fun. But when he came to New York, he discovered a talent for inventing iconic amusement park rides that soon made him the “King of Coney Island.”

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