In 1935 Coney Island was one of the most exciting neighborhoods in New York City People came to swim eat popcorn gawk at rare animals and enjoy thrilling rides They came to have fun Hotdog Luna Popcorn Cinema Coney Island
Coney Island was where feisty redheaded Rena Glickman was born Rena’s life wasn’t much fun She lived in an apartment that was cramped and loud Not even Shabbat brought quiet
There was never enough money in the Glickman family Rena’s parents didn’t give her much but they did give her a nickname Rusty after a stray neighborhood dog with red fur Her mother made a little money working at a hot dog stand Rusty worked there too peeling potatoes for french fries and selling cups of ice water after school hotdog
Rena loved her brother Charly She wanted to be just like him So when Charly lifted weights and did push-ups so did Rusty She became strong That gave her the confidence to speak her mind whether people wanted to hear what she had to say or not
