GRIFFITH PARK—Griffith Park carousel’s operator, Julio Gosdinski, passed away on Friday, August 7, at age 49.
Known by the locals as ‘Mr. G’ or ‘The Carousel Man,’ Gosdinski passed away in his sleep, according to his sister Anneliese Gosdinski-Espinoza who spoke to LAist. His family is waiting for the coroner’s report.
Photo credits to @gp_carousel at Instagram.
Gosdinski emigrated from Peru at the age of 12 and began working at the carousel when he was 16 years old. He met the then-owner of the carousel, Warren Deasy, who became a mentor and father figure to him. After Deasy passed away, he left the merry-go-round to his wife Rosemary and Godsinski.
Gosdinski was featured in a short documentary, ‘Julio’s dream’ by April Wright, showcasing Gosdinski and the 94-year-old merry-go-round. He was also profiled by KQED’s Anny Celsi in 2017.
Speaking to a creative collective Narrated Objects, Godsinski said, “Anything that happens out there in the ‘real’ world…you come here on a Saturday morning, open up our doors, turn on the clock, turn on the music, on the first ride, it just goes away…There’s something about it that is so soothing. And it’s very magical.”
Gosdinski’s friends have created a GoFundMe page to contribute to his memorial service.
