Rolling Waves, Dice in Freeport

By Jennifer Kester | Staff Writer

Casino Beach in the first half of the century brought families out to enjoy the pool, the beach and, of course, the casino. (Photo Courtesy Douglas Taylor)

A NOV. 21 History Mysteries picture asking readers "Where was Casino Beach?" brought in a wide response. Some people recalled places known as Casino Beach in Island Park and in Astoria, but many readers recognized the photo as being of the Casino Beach complex in Freeport.

Marina Rerecich of Seaford said she recognized the Casino Beach and Pool instantly. "I knew that picture," said Rerecich, 77, who was a Freeport resident from 1937 to 1992. "We had a little boat and went out there every opportunity we had."

Casino Beach, which was on Casino Street off Long Beach Avenue, was a popular hangout with a pool and a casino that burned down in 1929. After the fire, the area was redone. The pool was equipped with a diving board, a curved slide and lockers. Readers recall going to the club until the early 1960s, when it was closed.

The area was used subsequently for housing, the most recent being the South Bay Condominiums, which were built on the site in the 1980s, according to Isabelle Drach of the Freeport Historical Museum. "It was a pretty popular place," said Leonard Calderone of Glen Cove, who lived in Roosevelt as a teenager. "I remember, after the war, going to the pool with guys from the service."

Victor A. Cohen, who has lived in Freeport since 1938, remembers how his eyes would turn bright red from the heavily chlorinated water in the casino pool. "When I was a kid, it was the only public pool in town," said Cohen, 74. "Since most of us didn't have the transportation to go to Jones Beach, we would con our parents into going to Casino Beach for the day. Admission was about 25 cents."

Cohen said that the crowds mostly used the pool instead of the "beach," which was a canal with a small strip of sand. He said that not many people used the slide, although it was intended as a big attraction. "My friends got me to go on it and it ripped the seat of my bathing suit," he said. With the pool right in town, Cohen said that kids often rode their bikes there or had their parents drop them off for the day. "It was extremely popular with young people," he said. "It was a great spot to meet friends from all over the village. It also drew crowds from adjoining villages like Merrick.

"I had some misgivings when I came back from the Army and saw that it was gone," Cohen said. "It was a great place."