Born and raised in Coney Island, Jerry Menditto has tended the Cyclone for 34 years.

The Cyclone roller coaster on Coney Island has been thrilling New Yorkers ever since the Holland Tunnel opened for traffic and Charles Lindbergh made his transAtlantic flight. While many of its surrounding attractions have been shuttered, the Cyclone is still rolling along, at $8 a ride.

On Friday, the iconic attraction will celebrate its 82nd birthday with free rides for the first 100 customers. During those decades of stomach-churning excitement, few people have spent as much time around the Cyclone as Jerry Menditto, the ride’s operations manager.

JERRY MENDITTO
AGE: 65
JOB: Operations manager for the Cyclone roller coaster
HOURS: At least five hours a night, four nights a week
YEARS ON THE JOB: 34

What has changed since you started working at the Cyclone?
People have gotten a lot more civilized. Nowadays, we get families and very nice people that come out to Coney Island. The most trouble we have is when kids are not big enough to go on the rides and they start crying.

What kinds of people ride the Cyclone?
Lots of foreigners come out to Coney Island just for the Cyclone. We also get riders of all ages. And when I say all ages, I’m talking about everything from little kids to senior citizens. You can find people riding the Cyclone that are well into their 80s. Sometimes, we’ll even find dentures that have fallen out of someone’s mouth during the ride.

How often do you ride the Cyclone?
I was born and raised in Coney Island. The whole amusement area was my backyard when I was growing up. And you know what? I’ve never been on the Cyclone. I’ve never liked going on rides. But they sure are fun to be around.

How does the Cyclone work?
Electricity takes the roller coaster to the first drop, then it is all gravity. The closer you get to the end, the faster it goes. At its fastest point, the Cyclone goes about 55 miles per hour. Now that doesn’t sound fast, but this is a small ride and when you are making a small turn doing 55 mph, when you really should be going 15 miles per hour, it feels fast. At least that’s what they tell me.

Is the roller coaster safe?
You bet it’s safe. I’ve been here 34 years, and we’ve probably rebuilt this entire ride while I’ve been here. While most of the steel has been around since the beginning, the wood gets replaced regularly. We’re right by the ocean here, and we have four seasons — that can take its toll, so we make sure to replace any parts of the track that aren’t in good shape.

What kind of things fall out of pockets?
We find eyeglasses, cell phones, false teeth, wigs and lots and lots of hats. Many years ago, we even found an artificial finger someone had lost on the ride. The guy called and wanted to know if we found his finger.

Can the Cyclone compete with fancy, modern-day roller coasters?
There are certainly roller coasters nowadays that are bigger and go faster. But there’s more to a roller coaster than just how fast it goes. There’s a club of roller-coaster enthusiasts that travel all over the world going on roller coasters, but when they come back, they say, “You know, as thrilling as those rides are, they can’t compare to the Cyclone.”

Other than finding the prosthetic finger, what has been your strangest experience?
Maybe 10 years ago, a man came up here with two English bulldogs. I told the guy, “Look, we can’t watch your dogs.” He said, “Oh no, don’t worry about them. I’ve bought them tickets. They are going to ride with me.” I said, “Oh, no, they ain’t.” He was a bit under the weather, so he gave me a hard time. So I told him, “Look, No. 1, they don’t make the height requirement. You have to be 54 inches tall to ride the Cyclone, and they don’t make it.” But he insisted, he was a real Brooklyn guy, and got a little rowdy and I had to call the cops. The cops cooled him off, and then the next day he came back to apologize. He said, “I don’t know what I was thinking. I had a couple of drinks and wanted to take the bulldogs on the ride.”
For more directions and hours of operation visit www.coneyislandcyclone.com or call (718) 265-2100 .

CYCLONE TIMELINE

June 26, 1927 — Built by Vernon Keenan and Harry Baker at a cost of $175,000, the Cyclone opens for business six weeks late.
1948 — Folklore has it that a coal miner from West Virginia who had never spoken a word found his voice when he screamed on the Cyclone’s first drop.
1950s — According to Charles Denson’s tome “Coney Island Lost and Found,” the Cyclone discontinues the practice of having a midget zap dismounting riders with an electric paddle.
1965 — Declining revenue forces the struggling Cyclone’s sale to the New York City Parks Department.
1969 — With attendance at all-time lows, the Cyclone is condemned.
1972 — The Cyclone is nearly destroyed as the neighboring New York Aquarium seeks to expand, but a “Save the Cyclone” campaign keeps the plan at bay.
July 3, 1975 - Astroland takes over operation of the city-owned Cyclone. After a refurbishment, the ride is reopened, to the delight of rollercoaster fans.
Sept. 7, 2008 — Astro-land shuts down, but the Cyclone keeps on rolling along, thanks to its status as a New York City landmark.

CYCLONE BY THE NUMBERS

25 cents: Cost of the ride when it opened. (It’s $8 now.)
85 feet: Height of the first, 60-degree drop.
2,640 feet: Length of the track
6: Number of 180-degree turns in the ride
16: Number of direction changes per ride
110: Number of seconds the ride lasts
3: Cars per train
24: Passengers per cycle
7: “Clones” or copycat Cyclone rides around the world, including Europe and Japan
104: Hours 19-year-old Richard Rodriguez rode the coaster straight, setting a world record in 1977

One of Coney Island’s most popular events – Friday Night Fireworks are set to start on June 19th. Enjoy a stroll on the Boardwalk, some great food, drinks, fun and fireworks….oh and let’s not forget THE CYCLONE!!