Each time Ron Galluccio, Jr., put his foot in his mouth, a shriek echoed across Owl’s Head Park — or a giggle — depending upon your fear factor. The green-faced imp with matching hair and a bloody prop had a spooktastic time scaring the tremulous types at Sunday’s Halloween walk at the emerald empire on Colonial Road, off E. 68th Street, where the sun-kissed day sent shivers down the spines of even seasoned trick or treaters.
Frolickers put a phant-tastic foot forward alongside other intrepid critters to hail the calendar’s most bone-jangling day with a wacky walk through the park, hosted by state Sen. Marty Golden (R-Bay Ridge), complete with diabolical sets and an eye-popping cast of frightful folk in full makeup; some of them, civic activists, others willing vollies, but all of ‘em waiting to pounce upon unwitting visitors who howled their heads off in return.
Pretty pint-sized princess Vita DeBona alternated her weep-fest by looking cautiously over her shoulder just in case another ghostie lurked nearby. And, of course, there was, thanks to the theatrrrr-ics spun by a team of expert designers and make-up artists who made sure everyone left with a scream, a smile or both.
“Two heads are better than one,” growled Bay Ridge beast John Demas, who came as a composition of skulls. Activist Arlene Keating — former president of the Bay Ridge Community Council — was dressed to thrill as a corpse bride, setting goosebumps-a-rising by taking a bite out of the neck of grim goblin and fellow enactor Kiana Yau.
If the scary stuff proved too much, face painters, sand artists and balloon sculptors helped visitors get their ghoul on tear-free.
— Shavana Abruzzo