Coney Island's 150-foot-tall spinning mistress, the Wonder Wheel, turns 88 today. One and all are invited to join in on the celebration at Deno's--some events are planned for the anniversary that should be lasting throughout the day and night. As for the history of the Wheel, it's been up and running since 1920 and each year the 400,000-lb. ride is overhauled and painted. Fun fact: "The only stoppage in the history of the Wonder Wheel was on July 13, 1977 during the Great NYC Blackout. Riders were brought down safely because the owners hand cranked the wheel." And as you may recall, it came into the Vourderis family when in 1948 "Coney Island hot dog vendor Denos Vourderis promised his girlfriend that if she married him, he would buy her the Wonder Wheel; 35 years later he’d saved up enough money to make it happen."