The bawdy bunnies are back.
After his annual sexy Easter Bunny display was ransacked last year by a disgusted neighbor, New Jersey dentist Wayne Gangi vowed to resurrect the racy holiday decorations. And it appears that the randy tooth-technician has made good on his promise — this time doubling the number of eggs-rated mannequins and installing caution tape to deter any future vandals.
Not only that but the 62-year-old Clifton native tells The Post he “put masks on the faces of all the mannequins” to “raise social awareness” amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Gangi says the custom originated as “a goof” in Halloween 2001, when he decked out his dental office’s lawn with scandalous mannequins sporting sultry, holiday-themed attire. The titillating tradition sparked controversy in April 2019 when an offended neighbor used scissors to dismantle what she deemed a “disgusting” Easter display featuring dummies in bunny ears, lingerie and fishnets. The damage cost Gangi between $500 and $1,000, he says, and prompted him to file a restraining order against the self-righteous vandal, whom he calls a “pimple on my ass.”
The incident also ignited a veritable holy war, with some deeming the Playboy Bunny facsimiles sacrilegious, while others, including Clifton’s mayor, calling it a “free speech issue.” However, the dentist tells The Post he never intended to “attack Easter” and that it was “only a spoof.”
That wasn’t the sole instance of decoration desecration for Gangi, who erects brazen displays for other holidays, including St. Patrick’s Day, Fourth of July, Halloween and Christmas. In February, he says, separate interlopers tried to steal one dummy and trash another in his Valentine’s Day extravaganza.
Nonetheless, the defiant dentist hasn’t been deterred from putting up this year’s tawdry Easter treatment — in part because of supportive responses from fans. “Because I was getting such positive feedback from so many people who look forward to seeing something goofy and stupid, it was a reinforcement to do it again,” Gangi says.
Along with adding the aforementioned face masks, he has increased the number of mannequins to nine, up from five last year, and festooned the area with giant golden eggs purchased from Party City. To prevent future vandalism incidents, he also crisscrossed the yard with red danger tape and put up “no trespassing” signs, as suggested by police.
Fans have backed the display’s return in a Facebook fan club, “Dr. Gangi Supporters,” which features pictures of his salacious holiday decor. “Looks great Doc. It’s a welcome bit of relief from all this doom ‘n’ gloom out here,” said one supporter. “The girls are back in town,” added another.
“Women are my strongest supporters,” says Gangi, adding, “You’re always going to get a percentage of haters, but it’s at most 5 percent.” The forgiving dentist even credits last year’s scissor-wielding vandal for “catapulting me to stardom,” because the incident brought publicity.
“Sometimes people are thinking it’s me against the world and I should get even with society; that’s not what it’s about,” says Gangi. “You see something stupid on the lawn. It’s meant to make you laugh and forget your troubles. That’s all it was meant ever to do.”