M.A. Bluestone, the Doctor of Old Coney Island

Once again, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle has provided us with a glimpse into Coney Island's past. This time, the time capsule comes in the form of an essay by retired Brooklyn Heights doctor, Charles M. Plotz, about his uncle Dr. M.A. 'Moe' Bluestone, who practiced medicine out of an office on Surf Avenue and West 12th for some three decades.

It sounds like Dr. Bluestone was a true Coney Island classic:

He was a lifelong (though hardly celibate) bachelor whose constant companion was a chow-chow dog named Tootsie. There were at least three successive Tootsies. Moe seldom traveled but had a regular pinochle game with a large group of male friends. His friendly personality, medical knowledge and ready availability made him the physician for the entire area. […]

He took care of many of the "freaks," some of whom lived in the area all year. Over
the years I got to know the "fat lady," Lincoln the "strong man," the "rubber man" and many others.

Coney Island Was Jumping And 'Uncle Moe' Was Its Doctor [Brooklyn Daily Eagle]

- post by Ben Nadler