Name of Miss Wantagh 1961 Sought

As Fourth of July Association organizers gear up for the 56th annual Miss Wantagh Pageant, an effort is underway to determine the lone missing winner from the more than half-century tradition.

A list of all ladies crowned Miss Wantagh is included on the pageant’s website, but next is 1961 is a blank space with a question mark. Miss Wantagh organizers are distributing a photo of the 1961 Miss Wantagh winner (pictured above) in hopes someone will be able to identity who she is so records of the annual early summer community tradition can be complete

"As we prepare for the 2012 crowning of Miss Wantagh, it would be an absolute delight if we could complete our list and post their stories and pictures on our Facebook page and website," said Wantagh Pageant Coordinator Ella Stevens Ella Stevens. "The future is always shaped by the past's contributions and in Wantagh, we have more than 50-years of past contributions worth noting. We are fortunate that many of  our past crowns continue to live in Wantagh and one particular Miss Wantagh – Dorothy Langhans (1963) went on to become Miss New York State.”

Anybody who knows the 1961 Miss Wantagh winner or recognizes the photo is urged to contact Stevens at 516- 409-1645 or misswantagh@optimum.net. 

The  2012 Miss Wantagh pageant will feature nine contestants and is scheduled for June 29 at 7:30 p.m. in  the Auditorium. Miss Wantagh 2012 will be crowned at the conclusion of the annual Wantagh Fourth of July Parade.

The list of Miss Wantagh winners since 1956 with the exception of 1961 incudes:

1956

Lynn Clayton

1985

Marissa Harte

1957

Carol Doyle

1986

Lynn Ohlander

1958

Virginia Burling

1987

Lucine Humes

1959

Laurel Conlon

1988

Elise Henderson

1960

Joan Bieler

1989

Coleen Walsh

1961

     ?

1990

Andrea Weinstein

1962

Lorraine Dainotti

1991

Gerrie Murphy

1963

Dorothy Langhans

1992

Diana Wille

1964

Suzanne Hunt

1993

CarrieAnne Lorenz

1965

Linda DiPasca

1994

Cristina Lashuk

1966

Antonia Zarrogina

1995

Sari Schenker

1967

Sue Garofola

1996

Linda Cleet

1968

Debra Drummond

1997

Jennifer Gabriel

1969

Cathy Ward

1998

Laura Procida

1970

Barbara Bowdish

1999

Meghan Elliott

1971

Adela Sotelo

2000

Doretta Raffio

1972

Nancy Sotelo

2001

Rena Malik

1973

Rita Curran

2002

Briana Kane

1974

Robin Howard

2003

Samantha Spindel

1975

Terry Clark

2004

Marisa Porcelli

1976

Valerie Georgalas

2005

Kristina Doucet

1977

Maureen Kavanagh

2006

Erin Dempsey

1978

Nina MacGinn

2007

Mary Kleshefsky

1979

Jennifer Craig

2008

Katina Mountanos

1980

Margaret Esposito

2009

Eden Held

1981

1982

Jeannie Cacciabaudo

Brenda Butler

2010

Kelley Garland

1983

Noreen Reilly

2011

Kara Arena

1984

Noreen Reilly

2012

TBD