Author Richard Panchyk Stories about ghosts and buried gold, centurarians and barrels full of monkeys are among the stories that punctuate the history of Amityville. Now, some of those stories are documented in a new book by Richard Panchyk. It is a vibrant look at the origins of not only Amityville's lore but also of those in other communities in Nassau and Suffolk counties.

Forgotten Tales of Long Island, published by The History Press of Charleston, South Carolina and Salem, Massachusetts, includes five stories that have come down through Amityville's history. Panchyk researches the tales from their origins, some of which are based in fact; others in whimsy.

All of the stories were supposedly true when they were originally printed in a variety of sources, including local newspapers. Many turned out to be pranks, however, but Panchyk's book recounts them in detail, fortified by solid research. In addition to tales about Amityville, the book includes stories on the history of Hempstead, Huntington, Fire Island, Sag Harbor, Hicksville, Smithtown, Shelter Island, Patchogue and Deer Park. It took him six months to complete his research for the book.

One of Mr. Panchyk's favorite tales was the story of a young man in Amityville who allegedly found a pot of gold buried in a post hole. He began a feud with a "rival" thief, however, and the "honor" among them was restored only when it was determined that the incident was a hoax.

"The whole thing had been a fake, and the "thief" as well as the man who had found the gold, had actually buried it themselves as a practical joke."

Another better-known tale of Amityville, which is also documented in the book, involved Frank Buck's Jungle Park. Buck, a well-known game hunter, animal trainer, and wildlife expert, built the zoo in 1935 along Sunrise Highway in what is now East Massapequa, and it quickly became an attraction to locals and visitors to the area alike.

The real story occurred, however, when about 50 of Buck's monkeys got loose, stopping both vehicular and train traffic on the Long Island

Railroad. The great escape made headlines not only in Amityville but throughout New York. Then there was the 1894 story about a woman who celebrated her 100th birthday wi th 40 of he r 89 l iving descendant s including 60 grandchildren and three great grandchildren, and the tale of the "Hermit of Oak Island." Panchyk recounts the life and times of Ebenezer Chichester who decided to leave Amityville after his wife and two sons died during the Civil War. He built a "a six-foot-square shack on Oak Island, and lived there for 20 years "without seeing another person," as the story goes. Richard Panchyk grew up

in Queens, attended Adelphi University, and has lived in Westbury with his wife and two children for 11 years. He has written 12 books, including children's books, and most recently, a book on the history of Westbury.

Pancyhk originally decided to write a book of stories about Long Island because he was interested in the history of the area, with its endless supply of interesting, but forgotten tales. He was also intrigued about "how things have changed over time—and how they haven't," he said.

As he dove into the realm of Long Island's history, he began to see that the Newsday articles of today, and the "wild tales" of yesteryear were not really very different.

"Although the news stories themselves have changed", Panchyk stated, "Our obsession with gossip and scandal has not."

For more information on Richard Panchyk, readers can visit the website at www.historypress.net .