9. The first location of electronics chain Crazy Eddie was located in Midwood
Crazy Eddie was a popular consumer electronics chain in the Northeast, which at its peak had 43 stores and $300 million in sales. The first Crazy Eddie was opened in Midwood on Kings Highway in 1971 by Eddie and Sam M. Antar; it was originally called ERS Electronics for Eddie and his parents Rose and Sam. The first location stayed on Kings Highway for a few years before moving to a large location a few blocks away. By 1973, the second location opened in Syosset in Nassau County, with a third opening in Manhattan two years later.
In addition to low prices, the store was known for its “crazy” commercials that starred DJ Jerry Carroll. The chaotic commercials featured Carroll for over 15 years, including a series each holiday season in which he would dress as Santa Claus and advertise the store while fake snowballs were thrown at him. Over 7,500 radio and television ads were broadcast across the tri-state area in the 1980s, some of which were parodied on Saturday Night Live. However, another element of “crazy” within the store’s history was years of fraud among management, leading to legal battles and eventual bankruptcy in 1989.