“THE SHOOBIE SHUFFLE” TALES FROM WILDWOOD FANATICS NEAR AND FAR. . .
Mike Crater: A Slice of Wildwood, A Slice of Life

The memory is so vivid, so fresh in his mind that it might as well have happened yesterday.

“I‘m sitting in the back of my parents‘ car, riding down Pacific Avenue,” recalls Mike Crater, 39, of Pottstown, PA. “This is back in the late-70s, and the strip was alive and jumping. As a kid, it was such an exciting scene. There was neon and bright, flashing signs everywhere.”

He pauses for a few moments, relaxing his hands behind his head while leaning backward in his chair. His eyes wander briefly to the various framed images of the Wildwoods hanging on the wall.

“The one that stood out to me most, though,” he continued, sporting a grin that would have put the Cheshire Cat to shame, “was the giant rooftop sign for Josie’s Fireside Pizza. It was animated, with a neon sequence that showed the pizza flipping through the air. You could see it from a mile away. “That sign… wow. It made a huge impression on me.”

The sensory-overloaded flashback is one of thousands that Crater figures he’s tucked away over the years, fueling a passion for the Wildwoods that has only grown stronger over the past quarter century or so.

“I would call it an obsession, actually,” he admitted, with a hearty laugh. “There’s no place in the world like Wildwood. Nothing compares to it. Absolutely nothing.”

As if on cue, the warm, unmistakable aromas of cheese, dough, sauce and a variety of spices suddenly fill the room. The setting is not a Boardwalk pizza parlor, though a blindfolded guest couldn’t possibly detect the difference.

It’s Saturday evening and here, at Mike’s Brick Oven Pizza on North Charlotte Street in Pottstown, business is beginning to pick up. Crater nods and exchanges pleasantries with a regular patron, as his family and two others file by, toward the rear dining room. A delivery man heads out, just as another returns from his route. The phone behind the nearby counter rings steadily.

“This is the place where my two greatest passions - Wildwood and pizza - come together,” explained Crater, who opened the business back in March of 1999. “This is what I’ve always wanted to do, my little slice of the world. “We just celebrated our tenth anniversary, and I couldn’t be happier!”

Crater started working in local pizzerias at the age of 14. As the years passed, he continued to gain entrepreneurial experience by cooking, catering, building homes, and managing many small businesses in the area. And, of course, making pizzas.

The shop celebrates a distinct Wildwood flavor, in more ways than one. In addition to the many photos and memorabilia that decorate the walls, Mike’s diverse menu includes his special Boardwalk Pizza. A tribute to the legendary taste of Mack’s Pizza, the item is consistently one of his most popular. “We sell a lot of Boardwalk Pizzas,” he noted, proudly.

“People can’t get enough of that taste of the shore. Mack’s is still the best. Making pizza is an art form, and nobody does it better. They have the perfect combination, and they do it right. I honestly think they get better, year after year.

“I’ve always been a Mack’s guy, but I love Sam’s, too. They are easily the best two pizza places at the Jersey Shore, and they’ve been incredibly influential on me.”

In addition to running his shop, Crater also hosts two special events each year. Mike’s Horror Hotel, a scary walkthrough attraction set up in the rear of the building, takes shape every October. All December, the building is home to a spectacular Christmas Bazaar.

“We try to do a little something extra for the community, to give back a little,” he explained. “I love these holiday events, and look forward to them each year. They’re a lot of hard work to set up, but are so worth it.”

Also an amusement enthusiast, Crater boasts an impressive personal collection of postcards and photos from the Boardwalk’s past. But, he’s most fanatical about the present. “I’m never without my camera on a trip down there,” he said. “I might take 200-300 pics or more every time, but I just love documenting everything. The Boardwalk, the beach, the rides, the arcades, the restaurants…. all of the motels… everything. It’s such a beautiful place.”

Crater’s love affair with all things Wildwood goes back farther than he can remember.

“It started when I was very young, coming down the shore with my family,” he said. “The feeling I got riding through town then is the same one I get now. It’s so intense, and hard to put into words. I get goosebumps every time I walk up the ramp to the Boardwalk, just like when I was a kid.

“When I turned 16 and got my driver’s license, the first place I went to on my own was Wildwood. I didn’t wait, it was straight down the shore for me!”

As is the case now, many motels at that time did not rent rooms to teenagers. After making several inquiries, however, he found willing hosts in Bill and Dot Gannon at the Premiere Motor Inn on Atlantic Ave.

“I respected their property and they trusted me, and the Premiere became my home in Wildwood,” he explained. “Bill and Dot are terrific people, and they always took great care of me there. I will never forget how well they have treated me over the years, and I always enjoy stopping in to see them.” Crater still frequents the Premiere, but he has also branched out. In more recent years, he and his wife, Chris Marie, have embarked on a rather interesting quest. “We want to stay in every single motel in Wildwood,” he said, with complete sincerity. “So far, I’ve stayed at over thirty different places. Sometimes, I feel bad because I want to go back and continue to give business to some of the great motels I’ve stayed at. But, I also want to support as many of these places as I can.

“One neat thing about staying at different motels is that it’s like a new vacation and a new experience on every trip. On our last two visits, we stayed at the Gondolier and Attaché in the Crest, two beautiful motels that I would recommend to everyone.”

As the dining room begins to fill up with customers intently waiting to fill their bellies, Crater hops out of his seat and heads toward the adjoining kitchen area to lend his staff a hand. Before he gets to the door, a vintage nighttime photo of the Boardwalk briefly catches his eye.

“Look around the country, and you can see how Corporate America has taken over. In any state, you’ll find strip malls and the same old stores. Everything looks alike.

“In Wildwood, it’s different. There have been a lot of changes, and we’ve lost a lot of classic motels and other buildings. But, the island will never lose its charm. It’s such a unique place, with so much history in it and so much to do. It’s the place I’ll always return to, because it‘s truly a part of me.

“Cruising down Ocean Avenue, with all of those great motels, the huge neon signs and the beach right there… it’s just amazing. I feel like the weight of the world is lifted off of my shoulders when I’m there, like all of my troubles have been left behind.

“I’m just crazy about Wildwood!”