Wildwood Boardwalk Icon John “Gigi” Gigliotti Has Passed Away
The Wildwoods have lost a true Boardwalk icon.
John “Gigi” or “Gig” Gigliotti, the longtime face of the Wildwood Sightseer Tram Cars and a man whose life of service stretched from the United States Army to the railroad and eventually the Wildwood Boardwalk, passed away peacefully Friday night surrounded by his family, according to a family announcement.
For generations of Wildwood visitors, Gigi became nearly as recognizable as the famous yellow and blue tram cars themselves. But his story began long before he arrived on the Boardwalk.
Photo by Mike Oehlers
Gigliotti was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the infantry during the Korean War era and was stationed in Germany. After leaving the Army, he began working for the Reading Railroad in 1952, serving as both a freight and passenger conductor before later working for Conrail. His railroad career spanned roughly four decades.
When Gigliotti retired from the railroad in 1992, retirement didn’t last very long.
Gigi later told CBS Philadelphia that his wife, Barbara, suggested he try working on Wildwood’s famous tram cars, telling him the little yellow cars were essentially a miniature version of what he had done throughout his career.
Photo by Photo Gary Defilippis
That suggestion launched a second career that would make Gigi a Wildwood legend.
For more than three decades, Gigliotti worked with the Sightseer Tram Cars as a driver, supervisor and safety coordinator. During the summer, he was known for extraordinarily long days on the Boardwalk and for knowing seemingly everyone he encountered. New Jersey Monthly described him as the safety director for the tram’s seasonal employees and documented his reputation as one of the Boardwalk’s most recognizable personalities.
His contributions were eventually honored in a very Wildwood way.
In 2016, a new Sightseer Tram Car was named “The Gig” in his honor, permanently attaching his nickname to the attraction he had spent decades representing.
Gigi’s impact extended far beyond operating the tram. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that over the years he drove notable passengers including Bruce Springsteen and the Harlem Globetrotters and assisted when a tram appeared in the 2012 film Virginia.
And just last month, on August 1, 2026, Gigi appeared at the Wildwood Historical Society alongside Florence Stingel, the woman behind the original “Watch the tram car, please” recording, for an event celebrating the history of the Wildwood tram car.
Gigi’s beloved wife Barbara, who died in 2017, was part of that Wildwood story as well. The couple had been married for 45 years, and Barbara spent her final 14 summers working alongside her husband with the Wildwood Tram Cars.
gig
Gigi wasn’t simply someone who worked on the Wildwood Boardwalk. For more than three decades, he became part of it.
His familiar face, conversations with visitors and devotion to the tram cars made him an unofficial ambassador for the Wildwoods and part of countless families’ summer memories.
Tonight, the Wildwood Boardwalk has lost one of its own.
Rest in peace, Gigi, we will miss you
And somewhere above the Wildwoods, we’d like to think one familiar message is playing once again:
“Watch the tram car, please.”