Irving Rosenthal an amusement company owner who, along with his brother Jack Rosenthal, operated the Palisades Amusement Park

Palisades Amusement Park

Palisades Amusement Park was an amusement park located in Bergen County, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City. It was situated atop the New Jersey Palisades lying partly in Cliffside Park and partly in Fort Lee. The park operated from 1898 until 1971, remaining one of the most...

 near Cliffside Park and Fort Lee, New Jersey, from 1934 until its closing in 1971.

Early life

Rosenthal was born in Russia and immigrated to the United States in 1902, two years after an older brother and sister settled in New York. By 1910, the Rosenthal household on East 175th Street in the Bronx included widowed mother Jennie (b. 1864), Abraham Rosenthal (b. 1883), Florence Rosenthal (b. 1886), Rebecca Rosenthal (b. 1887), Mollie Rosenthal (b. 1888), Samuel Rosenthal (1891–1967), Celia Rosenthal (b. 1891), Jacob Rosenthal (b. 1892), and Irving Rosenthal (1895–1973). With the exception of Jacob and Irving, the Rosenthal family was employed in the leather and garment trade. Early on, Jacob Rosenthal worked as a musician with the Russian Symphony in New York, while Irving Rosenthal studied music and worked at odd jobs.

Education

Following his primary and secondary education in New York, Irving Rosenthal paid his tuition at New York University College of Dentistry

New York University College of Dentistry

The New York University College of Dentistry is one of 14 schools and divisions at New York University. It is located near Manhattan's Midtown area...

 by working as a trumpeter and violinist. He graduated from the school, but never practiced the profession.

Early employment

As a child, Irving sold newspapers on the Lower East Side to aid his widowed mother. In 1905, he borrowed $50 as start-up funding in a venture to sell souvenir pails and shovels at Steeplechase Park

Steeplechase Park

Steeplechase Park was an amusement park in the Coney Island area of Brooklyn, New York from 1897 to 1964. It was one of the leading attractions of its day and one of the most influential amusement parks of all time.-Beginnings:...

. The venture reaped a $1,500 profit. Within a few years, he and his brother Jacob - who was later known as Jack - bought a second-hand merry-go-round which they operated at the Savin Rock Park in West Haven

West Haven

- Places :Australia:* West Haven, New South WalesNew Zealand:* Westhaven suburb, in Auckland* Westhaven Marina, in the suburb of the same name, in AucklandUnited States:* Westhaven, California * West Haven, Connecticut* West Haven, Oregon...

, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...

, which they claimed netted a profit of $11,000. In 1927, Irving and Jack Rosenthal built at a cost of $146,000 The Cyclone roller coaster at Coney Island

Coney Island

Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....

. Irving also operated the Golden City Park Arena in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and featured the debut fights in the boxing careers of Canada Lee

Canada Lee

Canada Lee was an American actor who pioneered roles for African Americans. A champion of civil rights in the 1930s and 1940s, he died shortly before he was scheduled to appear before the House Un-American Activities Committee. He became an actor after careers as a jockey, boxer, and musician...

, Tony Canzoneri

Tony Canzoneri

Tony Canzoneri was an American boxer who was born in the town of Slidell, Louisiana.Canzoneri, an Italian American, was one of the members of the exclusive group of boxing world champions who have won titles in three or more divisions.- Early life :When he was a teenager, he and his family moved...

, and Izzy Grove.

Palisades Amusement Park

In 1934, Irving and Jack Rosenthal leased the Palisades Amusement Park

Palisades Amusement Park

Palisades Amusement Park was an amusement park located in Bergen County, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from New York City. It was situated atop the New Jersey Palisades lying partly in Cliffside Park and partly in Fort Lee. The park operated from 1898 until 1971, remaining one of the most...

 from Nicholas Schenck

Nicholas Schenck

Nicholas M. Schenck was a motion picture mogul and impresario.One of seven children, Schenck was born to a Jewish household in Rybinsk, a Volga River village in Tsarist Russia...

 the M-G-M mogul and his brother Joseph Schenck

Joseph Schenck

Joseph Michael Schenck was a pioneer executive who played a key role in the development of the United States film industry.Born in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia to a Jewish household, he and his family-including younger brother Nicholas- emigrated to New York City in 1893, he and Nicholas...

 when they began working with theatre chain owner Marcus Loew

Marcus Loew

Marcus Loew was an American business magnate and a pioneer of the motion picture industry who formed Loews Theatres and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer .-Biography:...

. In 1935, the Rosenthal brothers bought the park for $450,000. The attraction flourished under their management and drew more than four million visitors each summer. Among the attractions he featured at the park were such big-name bands as Harry James

Harry James

Henry Haag “Harry” James was a trumpeter who led a jazz swing band during the Big Band Era of the 1930s and 1940s. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone.-Biography:He was born in Albany, Georgia, the son of a bandleader of a...

, Benny Goodman

Benny Goodman

Benjamin David “Benny” Goodman was an American jazz and swing musician, clarinetist and bandleader; widely known as the "King of Swing".In the mid-1930s, Benny Goodman led one of the most popular musical groups in America...

, the Dorsey Brothers, Xavier Cugat

Xavier Cugat

Xavier Cugat was a Spanish-American bandleader who spent his formative years in Havana, Cuba. A trained violinist and arranger, he was a key personality in the spread of Latin music in United States popular music. He was also a cartoonist and a successful businessman...

, and recording stars such as Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett

Tony Bennett is an American singer of popular music, standards, show tunes, and jazz....

, Vic Damone

Vic Damone

Vic Damone is an American singer and entertainer.- Early life :Damone was born Vito Rocco Farinola in Brooklyn, New York to French-Italian immigrants based in Bari, Italy—Rocco and Mamie Farinola. His father was an electrician; and his mother taught piano. His cousin was the actress and singer...

, and The Supremes

The Supremes

The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...

. Such novelties as the 'diaper derby,' a crawling race for babies, junior beauty pageants, and three-ring circuses were among the innovations Irving Rosenthal introduced at Palisades Amusement Park. At the height of his career, Rosenthal employed more than 1,600 workers at the park.

Other enterprises

Rosenthal annually hosted the Police Anchor Club outings to the park, which enabled more than 11,000 New York orphans to visit the attraction. As a benefactor of the New York Association for Brain Injured Children, a home in Kerhonkson, New York was named for him. At one time, Rosenthal owned the Royal York Hotel in Miami, Florida, and a chain of movie theaters.

Marriage

Irving Rosenthal was married to Gladys Shelley

Gladys Shelley

Gladys Shelley was an American lyricist and composer.-Early life:Born in Lawrence, New York, Gladys Shelley began writing at an early age...

, a lyricist and composer of more than 300 songs, whose How Did He Look? remained a favorite of New York night-club singers for more than 60 years. In 1965, she penned the words and music for the advertising jingle "Come On Over" for her husband's enterprise, which rhymed 'Palisades Amusement Park' with 'swings all day and after dark.'

Death

In 1971, Irving Rosenthal sold the 38 acres (153,780.7 m²) Palisades Amusement Park to the Centex Winston Corporation, but continued working as chairman of Action Ads, Inc., an advertising firm. He was also involved in real estate and amusement developments. He died of a heart attack at his New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

home on Thursday, December 27, 1973.