Arto Monaco was born November 15, 1913 in Elizabethtown, New York

Elizabethtown, New York

Elizabethtown is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,315 at the 2000 census. The county seat of Essex County is a hamlet also called Elizabethtown. The name is derived from Elizabeth Gilliland, the wife of an early settler....

. He died November 21, 2003 in Upper Jay, New York

Jay, New York

Jay is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 2,306 at the 2000 census. The town is named after John Jay, governor of New York when the town was formed....

. He was an artist, theme park designer, toy designer, and cartoonist. Arto is buried in Mountain View Cemetery located in Upper Jay. His mother was Ida Martin. He is the son of Louis B. Monaco, an Italian immigrant; Italian restaurant owner and entrepreneur. In 1941, he married Glad Burrell of Au Sable Forks, New York

Au Sable Forks, New York

Au Sable Forks is a census-designated place in Clinton County, New York, United States. The population was 559 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Au Sable Forks is located at ....

.

Rockwell Kent

Rockwell Kent

Rockwell Kent was an American painter, printmaker, illustrator, and writer.- Biography :Rockwell Kent was born in Tarrytown, New York, the same year as fellow American artists George Bellows and Edward Hopper...

 helped him go to Pratt Institute

Pratt Institute

Pratt Institute is a private art college in New York City located in Brooklyn, New York, with satellite campuses in Manhattan and Utica. Pratt is one of the leading undergraduate art schools in the United States and offers programs in Architecture, Graphic Design, History of Art and Design,...

 in Brooklyn, he graduated in 1937. While at Pratt, he was given a job for Hays Committee in NYC that rated movies. John Steinbeck

John Steinbeck

John Ernst Steinbeck, Jr. was an American writer. He is widely known for the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Grapes of Wrath and East of Eden and the novella Of Mice and Men...

 and Lewis Milestone

Lewis Milestone

Lewis Milestone was a Russian-American motion picture director. He is known for directing Two Arabian Knights and All Quiet on the Western Front , both of which received Academy Awards for Best Director...

 had a house in Jay, NY and they encouraged him to go to Hollywood

Hollywood, Los Angeles, California

Hollywood is a famous district in Los Angeles, California, United States situated west-northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Due to its fame and cultural identity as the historical center of movie studios and movie stars, the word Hollywood is often used as a metonym of American cinema...

.

After graduating from Pratt, he worked at Hollywood, MGM

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...

, Paramount

Paramount Pictures

Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...

, Warner Brothers

Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...

, and Disney Studios

Walt Disney Pictures

Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...

 for about four years, until enlisting in the army in 1941.

He worked for Warner Brothers Studio in Hollywood for a short time. While working in Hollywood, Arto moonlighted as an interior decorator, working for Fannie Brice, Ray Milland

Ray Milland

Ray Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...

, Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin

Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...

, and others. He worked for Hasbro

Hasbro

Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...

, Mattel

Mattel

Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...

, and Ideal Toy Company

Ideal Toy Company

Ideal Toy Company was founded as Ideal Novelty and Toy Company in New York in 1907 by Morris and Rose Michtom after they had invented the Teddy bear in 1903. The company changed its name to Ideal Toy Company in 1938...

, designing prototype models for games, toys, and educational activities.

He enlisted into the Army in 1941. While in the army, he developed training aids; he helped set up the first Training Aids Division M in Aberdeen, Maryland

Aberdeen, Maryland

As of the census of 2000, there were 13,842 people, 5,475 households, and 3,712 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,166.2 people per square mile . There were 5,894 housing units at an average density of 922.4 per square mile...

. He set up a German village for training soldiers for street fighting with an old movie set from 1925. It was called Annadorf, in San Claus, California. It is west of Santa Clarita Mountains.

As a Master Sergeant, he moved to camp Santa Anita, a horse track turned army base. He was awarded the Legion of Merit

Legion of Merit

The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...

 in recognition of his leadership October 22, 1943. He appeared in the Army-Navy Screen Magazine #24, captioned "Strictly G.I. The Sergeant Shows 'Em How."

Shortly after WW2, he was asked by his old colonel, Bill James, to work help refurbish Lake Arrowhead Resort, Lake Arrowhead, California

Lake Arrowhead, California

Lake Arrowhead is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California, within the San Bernardino National Forest, adjacent to Lake Arrowhead Reservoir...

, as a Swiss-style resort village.

In the early 1950s, he set up his own business with his brother, Jim Monaco, and wife Glad in an old hotel of his father. Arto Monaco Toys made wooden and educational toys. When his theme park closed in 1979, he went back to designing toys and parks. He did freelance work for movie studios over the years.

Arto assisted with the designing of Disneyland

Disneyland Park (Anaheim)

Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company. Known as Disneyland when it opened on July 18, 1955, and still almost universally referred to by that name, it is the only theme park to be...

 in Anaheim, California

Anaheim, California

Anaheim is a city in Orange County, California. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was about 365,463, making it the most populated city in Orange County, the 10th most-populated city in California, and ranked 54th in the United States...

.

Parks

Arto designed Santa's Workshop

Santa's Workshop (amusement park)

Santa's Workshop in Wilmington, New York at the "North Pole" is an amusement park that has been in operation since 1949. It was one of the first theme parks in the United States . On December 16, 1953, the U.S...

, North Pole Park in Wilmington, New York

Wilmington, New York

Wilmington is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 1,131 at the 2000 census. The town is named after Wilmington, Delaware.The Town of Wilmington is on the county's north border and is southwest of Plattsburgh...

. The park was constructed in 1947 and opened in 1949, the owner was Julian Reiss. This was his first theme park design. He was a partner in the development of the park.

In the early 1950s Arto designed Old MacDonald's Farm in Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....

; it was a smaller park & only stayed open for a few years. The buildings were used for a summer camp for underprivileged kids from New York City. The camp is run by the Julian Reiss Foundation.

Parts of Storytown Park in Lake George

Lake George (village), New York

The Village of Lake George is a village within the town of Lake George in Warren County, New York, United States. The population was 985 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...

 were designed by Arto. Storytown is owned by Charley Wood

Charles Wood (businessman)

Charles R. "Charley" Wood was an American businessman.-Biography:Wood was born in Lockport, New York, in 1914.After seeing the amusement park Knott's Berry Farm in southern California he was inspired in 1954 to open his own park in Queensbury, New York, which he named Storytown USA. In order to do...

. Storytown is now part of Great Escape

The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom

The Great Escape & Splashwater Kingdom is an amusement and waterpark located in Queensbury, New York. It is advertised as being located in Lake George, New York...

. After the devastating flood in 1979, storybook cottages, buildings from Cactus Flats, Arto's train, and the miniature steam train were purchased for Storytown, USA aka Great Escape. Arto designed parts of Ghost Town, which is part of the Great Escape.

In 1952, Arto was a consultant and designed some parts for Frontier Town in North Hudson, New York

North Hudson, New York

North Hudson is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 266 at the 2000 census. The town derives its name by being by the north end of the Hudson River....

. The park opened in 1952.

Arto designed and ran the Land of MakeBelieve

Land of Makebelieve

Land of Makebelieve was an amusement park located in the hamlet of Upper Jay, New York. It was in operation from 1954 until 1979. The park was designed and built by Arto Monaco....

. It was built for kids and opened 1953 in Upper Jay, NY. The park closed in 1979 after a flood ravaged the area. While open, it flooded 11 times, with Arto rebuilding it each time it flooded until the flood in 1979. It was known as "Arto's Field of Dreams." Arto's business partner was Kathryn Cameron.

Arto was a consultant for Story Land

Story Land

Story Land is a theme park located in Glen, New Hampshire.In the few years prior to opening, the founders, Bob and Ruth Morrell, had purchased a large number of dolls from Germany based on storybook characters. This was the basis for the park. When it opened, it had just one ride: a ride on an old...

, Glen, New Hampshire

Glen, New Hampshire

Glen is an unincorporated village in the town of Bartlett in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The village is the home of Story Land, a popular amusement park in the Mount Washington Valley region, a resort area that also includes the communities of North Conway and Jackson.Glen is found at...

, which opened in 1954. It was owned by Bob and Ruth Morrell. Their children, Stoney and Nancy, took over operations in the 80's until 2006 when Stoney died. Nancy merged the park with Kennywood Entertainment Company

Kennywood Entertainment Company

The Kennywood Entertainment Company was the operator of five United States amusement parks in Western Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Hampshire.-History:...

 family of theme parks in 2007.

Arto was a consultant for Adventure Town, Alexandria Bay, New York

Alexandria Bay, New York

Alexandria Bay is a village in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 1,080 at the 2010 census.The Village of Alexandria Bay is in the Town of Alexandria.Keewaydin State Park is southeast of the village...

. It opened in the summer of 1955 and closed on Labor Day, 1961.

Arto designed Gaslight Village

Gaslight Village

Gaslight Village was a Vaudeville themed amusement park in Lake George, New York. The park was located along New York State Route 9N, U.S. Route 9 and Warren County Route 69 in the village. It opened in 1959, designed by Arto Monaco and built by amusement park builder Charles Wood...

 in Lake George, owned by Charley Wood. The park opened in 1956.

Arto was a consultant for the Enchanted Forest Park

Enchanted Forest Water Safari

The Enchanted Forest Water Safari is an amusement park in Old Forge, New York. - History :...

 in Old Forge, New York

Old Forge, New York

Old Forge is a hamlet on New York State Route 28 in the town of Webb in Herkimer County, New York. Old Forge was formerly a village that dissolved its incorporation, but remains the principal community in the region. Old Forge forms an extensive business district, primarily directed at tourism...

. The park opened in 1956.

Arto was a consultant to Montreal's Expo'67 World's Fair

Expo 67

The 1967 International and Universal Exposition or Expo 67, as it was commonly known, was the general exhibition, Category One World's Fair held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from April 27 to October 29, 1967. It is considered to be the most successful World's Fair of the 20th century, with the...

, which was at La Ronde Amusement Park

La Ronde (amusement park)

La Ronde is an amusement park in Montreal, owned and operated by Six Flags. It is the largest in the province of Quebec and the second largest in Canada after Canada's Wonderland, with about 2.5 million guests in 2006...

.

Arto designed parts of Fantasy Island Park

Martin's Fantasy Island

Martin's Fantasy Island is an amusement park located in Grand Island, New York.- History :Fantasy Island opened in 1961 and went bankrupt in 1982. It was acquired out of bankruptcy by Charles Wood, the original owner of Storytown USA. He sold the park to International Broadcasting Corporation in...

, Western NY. He designed and built a fairy castle for the park, after Charlie Wood acquired it in 1982.

In the early 1990s, he helped Paul Newman

Paul Newman

Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...

 and Charlie Wood of Lake George with a new camp for critically ill children, called Double-H Hole in the Woods Ranch

Double "H" Ranch

The Double H Ranch, co-founded in 1992 by Charles R. Wood and Paul Newman provides specialized programs and year-round support for children and their families dealing with life-threatening illnesses. The Ranch's purpose is to enrich their lives and provide camp experiences that are memorable,...

 at Lake Luzerne. He painted a mural around the indoor swimming pool. He also helped a local developer, Mickey Danielle, to design a children's camp in Jay, NY for families of children with growth disorders.

Film

The Katzenjammer Kids, "The Captain and the Kids Cleaning House", 1938. MGM cartoon he worked on when he first went to Hollywood. He worked on the following scenes: mama sweeping, captain scrubbing the floor, kids planning to operate on captain and them completely wrecking the hose, closing scenes of kids eating ice cream while captain is being punished by mama. He also worked on the stork and Charlie McCarthy

Edgar Bergen

Edgar John Bergen was an American actor and radio performer, best known as a ventriloquist.-Early life:...

 scenes.

"The Strawberry Roan film," 1948

He worked with Friz Freleng

Friz Freleng

Isadore "Friz" Freleng was an animator, cartoonist, director, and producer best known for his work on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons from Warner Bros....

, who came over from Warner Brothers, and William Hanna

William Hanna

William Denby Hanna was an American animator, director, producer, and cartoon artist, whose film and television cartoon characters entertained millions of people for much of the 20th century. When he was a young child, Hanna's family moved frequently, but they settled in Compton, California, by...

, later of Hanna-Barbera

Hanna-Barbera

Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...

 fame.

Fire in the Sky TV film, special effects 1978

"When Nature Calls

When Nature Calls

When Nature Calls is a 1985 spoof comedy written and directed by Charles Kaufman and starring Academy Award nominee David Strathairn in an early performance...

," Visual effects, 1985. Arto created miniatures for the show, aka the Outdoorsters.

Other works

Arto's mural of a Canadian hunting party and was painted in 1940 on the wall of the Local Village Inn. It was 7 ½ feet by 7 ½ feet. It is currently in poor condition.

Arto designed Holiday Harbor - Harbor Theater, Lake Placid, New York. Quigley Publication awarded Harbor Theater the Best Design of the Year Award 1969-70. NY Senator Stafford presented the award to Mr. Schwartz & Arto Monaco.

Arto illustrated 17 books and he continued making games and toys; some which he gave as gifts. He donated whimsical furniture to the libraries in Upper Jay & Au Sable Forks for the children's sections.

Some of the books he illustrated are: "Coloring Book of Atlanta," Atlanta News Agency 1969, "Tom-Tyler

Tom Tyler

Tom Tyler was an American actor in silent and sound motion pictures, best known for his portrayal of superhero Captain Marvel in the acclaimed 1941 movie serial The Adventures of Captain Marvel.-Biography:...

 tales # 1" and "Tom-Tyler Tales Too #2," the "Adirondack Cowboy."

He also illustrated "Jack Jingles Wish: a real adventure on Santa's Workshop." Publisher New York: Rand McNally January, 1953

Arto designed the prototype for many toys, including Hungry Hungry Hippo, Original Transformers, Rockem Sockem Robots, and Othello.

Features

• "Popular Science," Aug 1955
• "Popular Science," November 1949
• Fun World Magazine, November 2004
• "Amusement Parks of New York"
• "Images of America, Kiddie Parks of the Adirondacks"
• "The Arto Monaco Story, A Castle in Every Heart," Mountain Lake PBS
• "Remembering Arto Monaco," North Country Public Radio NCPR Radio
• "Arto Monaco the King of MakeBelieve," North Country Public Radio NCPR Radio
• "Arto Monaco Story," North Country Public Radio NCPR Radio
• "Arto Monaco", a song written by Monsterbuck.
• Items from Arto's Land of MakeBelieve, his drawings, toys and models he created were exhibited at the Adirondack Center Museum in Elizabethtown, NY August - October 1991
• Rosenberg Gallery, Adirondack History Center, in Elizabethtown, NY, exhibited Arto Monaco toys in 2001

Awards/Recognitions

• Legion of Merit
• Past President of Kiwanis
  Kiwanis
  Kiwanis International is an international, coeducational service club founded in 1915. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current membership is 240,000 members in 7,700 clubs in 80 nations...
  
  , Adirondack Division
• Rotary
  Rotary International
  Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
  
   honored him as Citizen of the Year, October 16, 1969.
• Was appointed by Gov. Rockefeller
  Nelson Rockefeller
  Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller was the 41st Vice President of the United States , serving under President Gerald Ford, and the 49th Governor of New York , as well as serving the Roosevelt, Truman and Eisenhower administrations in a variety of positions...
  
   in 1962, Commissioner of the Adirondack Mountain Authority
• Appointed by Gov Rockefeller as Commissioner of the Olympic ski center at Whiteface Mountain
  Whiteface Mountain
  Whiteface Mountain is the fifth-highest mountain in New York State, and one of the High Peaks of the Adirondack Mountains. Set apart from most of the other High Peaks, the summit offers a 360-degree view featuring the Adirondacks and perhaps on a clear day glimpses of Vermont and even Canada. The...
  
  
• He was fire Commissioner for Upper Jay, NY
• Member of Adirondack Attractions Association; Land of Make Believe was a charter member
• President of Adirondack Attractions Association
• Member of International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA)
• 2008 inductee to the IAAPA Hall of Fame
• IAAPA Hall of Fame video