Are we getting it? His position as the gatekeeper made him socially the most powerful man in the city, according to no less an authority than The New York Times. The lyrics also refer to the B-52's, so this would have had to at least been 1979/80. Steve liked the fact that I knew nothing about the whole nightclub scene. Mick Jagger at the club for Bianca Jagger's birthday party. We were all there to work really long hours. And Studio 54 doorman Marc Benecke as his witness, looking the part above the . Yeah, I actually told this one guy to go buy this blazer that I had on at Bloomingdales. Yes, very much so. You couldnt buy your way in, you know? But even if you worked at McDonalds and you liked to come and just dance, and you had good energy, you could get in. I had only ever been to one clubI wasnt interested in that whatsoever. I think about 54 as the end of the 60s, in a way. What does it feel like looking out at that crowd?Well, its overwhelming, but you feel safe because youve got a lot of security. In this case, it was one of their own employees that shut it down. Nancy Neimeth - book-keeper. Steve Rubell, a co-owner of the club, reveled in mixing beautiful "nobodies" with the glamorous by hand-selecting guests from the crowds outside the . He was hanging off the DJ booth. Rubell had the waiters dressed up like Pilgrims and he was serving turkey, recalled Warhol in his published diaries. It was decorated with "crystal chandeliers, carpet, and mirrors," filled with the delighted screams of people seeing it for the first time, and drew patrons to another set of doors to the club proper. For even more privacy, there were mattresses in the basement, but assumedly the employees weren't cleaning those every night. I can only wonder, as I ogle all the reproductions from my dumb little couch: Is this sufficiently swinging? There was a fair amount of nudity. At around the same time, three young lads from New York were trying to make it big in rock, or punk, or hip hop, or whatever you would call the Beastie Boys'genre. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she basically created a new job when she mentioned to them she had a subscription to Celebrity Bulletin, which, in the days before the internet was how one found out where celebs were staying. A double dose of Rachel Weisz is just what the doctor ordered. New York was very, very loose at the time. Opened by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager in 1977the same year Saturday Night Fever came outtheres never been a club like it since, with celebrities, socialites and scene- makers clamoring for a ticket in. The owners of Studio 54 became as well-known as the celebs who partied there. The all-night shifts were "grueling and the work was extremely physical" and had some occupational hazards, namely accidental contact highs. "(I'd) back off a little bit and feel the vibe, and then document things," he said. The music scene was different81 was that New Wave, New Romanticism era of music, groups like ABC and A-Ha and punk by that time as well. "We didn't want people with . I was having lunch with him and he was like, What are you doing the rest of the day, howd you like to come over to this new club were doing security for? We walked over there and I got interviewed by Steve Rubell. Nearly 35 years after her underappreciated romantic comedys release, the Oscar nominee returns to the Lower East Side. Everybody just immediately went onto the dance floor and started dancing. Picks from Armani, Dior, Rare Beauty, and more. Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission. Nevertheless, they were "treated like s***." Hes now back with a Studio 54 radio show on SiriusXM and a new position with Schrager, as the New York EDITIONs night manager. I wasnt good at that, because in some ways Im naturally shy. Studio 54 has gone down in history as the ultimate nightclub, a place where everyone who was anyone went to get down, boogie, and be seen. I mean, we had major stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Warren Beatty, Jack Nicholson, Mick Jagger. One Studio 54 bartender went onto much bigger things. There were a lot of ordinary people eking out a living in Manhattan, going out to have fun, but they knew what the club was about and they knew it was about acceptance and celebration. It was an easy interview, it didnt go into too much depth, it probably lasted for half an hour and then he offered me the job. One bartender stood out for being a bit different. He was all of 19-years-old. . Steve had this amazing talent to converse with anybody and make you feel like he was your best friend. Anything wentso much so that, when I asked Halston biographer and Studio 54 regular Steven Gaines for his craziest story about the club, he offered an anecdote so risqu that we cannot print it in full here. It was the ultimate disco but people didnt dance like you saw in Saturday Night Fever, it wasnt about that; it was about an individual look. It was really different. On any given evening, youd have, you know, Rudolph Nureyev, youd have Chuck Berry, Keith Richards. In the movie 70s Fever, live footage inside Studio 54 depicts this old lady who liked to get freaky along with the scene's major players like Studio 54 Doorman Mark Benecke and club co-owner Steve . For the new exhibition, Pittman reflected on the night of actress Elizabeth Taylor's birthday. They had to go against everything they knew about DJing to follow the strict rules the owners had. A visitor watches an archive photo of Grace Jones performing on display at the Studio 54: Night Magic exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum during the media preview March 11, 2020. There was a lot of media, especially on nights when there were parties, like when Dolly Parton showed up we had decorated the inside of the club like a barnyard, there were animals, bales of hay. Ad Choices, Donald Trump Still Collects Six-Figure Pension from SAG-AFTRA: Report. From comedy classics to underseen dramatic gems, your next binge is waiting. I grew up in the West Village, in the late fifties and sixties, when this area . Dressed in tight pants and high-top sneakers, she became Disco Sally, a star at Studio 54 and Xenon whod draw an audience of adoring fans as she got down on the dance floor.. Scott Bitterman started bussing tables, but that wasn't where he stopped. But before you went in there, you had to check your coat. Actor Alec Baldwintold Interview he worked there for two months in the fall of 1979. 54 was just electric, he told me, this carnival atmosphere where people felt free to just be absolutely who they wanted to be inside. As mentioned previously, Haoui (sometimes spelled "Howie") Montaug's heyday was in the years before the AIDS epidemic became a thing. She and some other . He started out as a janitor earning $3 an hour and worked his way up to becoming the club's general manager. Absolutely. That's right, he still got a regular paycheck, just to hang out and do drugs with celebrities. People were really tired of war and people just wanted to have a good time, and we did. Touching. I let him in, and I followed him into the club while Marc stayed at the door. Club founders Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager provided premium guests with premium cocaine and spent up to $100,000 on a single nights party decor. The 1970s were an exciting time in music, the New York City Club scene, and, more broadly still, the (largely) underground (at the time) LGBTQ+ community. There was a Man in the Moon that would come down and a coke spoon that would go up, and the tip of the moons nose would light up. The outside was really a show in itself. To underscore the Studio 54 doormens influence: Andy Warhol once described their reign over the entrance as a dictatorship, while Benecke says the New York Times once called him the most socially powerful person in the city. In front is famous artist Andy Warhol. I heard you would tell people who were desperate to get in to go buy the same jacket that you were wearing and then youd let them in? The photographic work of Dustin PIttman -- the focus of this feature . It made vast amounts of money for its two young owners. Studio was a reflection of all of that.. Many of the people that you worked with at Studio 54 got burned out on the industry because of all of the excess. And the two resident DJs, Nicky Siano and Richie Kaczor, were indeed two of the best. Every night, hopefuls crowded the rope outside Studio 54, masochistically waiting for the approval of a doorman (like Mark Benecke, seen here) or Steve Rubell. The stockbrokers were all doing cocaine. The head of security was Chuck Garelick, he became Uncle Chuck Uncle Chuck, Uncle Biff, Uncle Bunky. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. We became very good friends. It was like a hipster version of a Studio 54 doorman. Feds had previously discovered $600,000 in garbage bags, 300 quaalude pills, and cocaine during a raid of the club. Somehow, the pairing worked, and when Rubell died in 1989, Schrager said, "I'll never have that kind of friend again. I definitely did. So I was hired, and I was paid $625 a week. And Studio 54 doorman Marc Benecke as his witness, looking the part above the neck went a long way. But the person who almost certainly got the most offers for sex was the doorman Marc Benecke, when people offered up their bodies just to get inside. Located in gateway cities throughout the world, these are hotels where youll find guests rubbing elbows with locals because theres no better place to be in the moment. Privacy Policy and He said he didntbut that didnt mean people wouldnt shove their hands in his coat pocket and leave drugs and money in there., Writing for Vanity Fair, Studio 54 regular Bob Colacello declared Taylors 1978 birthday the clubs most amazing party of allThe Rockettes performed and then presented the movie star, who was standing on a float of gardenias between Halston and her then husband, Senator John Warner of Virginia, with a cake that was a full-size portrait of her. How did you do that? The club was even planned with that in mind. Are there dress-code tips, tricks?People ask this all the time, who got in, what was it? 2016 The Incomparable Rose Hartman (Documentary) (as Mark Benecke) 2015 ON the ROOF (TV Series) Self (2016) (as Mark Benecke) 2012 The Secret Disco Revolution (Documentary) Self (as Mark Benecke) 2008 70's Fever (TV Movie documentary) Self - Studio 54 Doorman (as Mark Benecke) According to New York Magazine, Lenny Miestorm was a teenaged art student who grew up on a farm and one of the original hires at Studio 54. But I think people were happy. And it wasnt about that. The man did, but the doorman still didn't let him in. Pittman took a similar approach at Studio 54. The two men were very good friends, despite being incredibly different personalities. Are there maybe, lets say, surprising celebrity interactions that stick out in your mind?Yeah. The director of a documentary on Studio 54 said, "A disgruntled employee knew about the skimming operation and where the cash was hidden in the club. Even Andy and Divine now seem a bore. Rubell was the exact opposite. He was all of 19-years-old. Studio 54. The bartenders at McMullens were making $800 or $900 a week, because it was so successful. I have heard that, yes! "I only want fun-looking people in here," said the club's co-owner, who grew up in Brooklyn long before it became fashionable. Kyle Richards, 54, explains HOW she stays so skinny after denying she uses weight loss drug Ozempic: '1 hour of alternating between walking at 3.5mph and running at 6mph' Teen spirit! Like a fat little Kewpie doll. "Renny the florist decorated the entire studio with live gardenias for Liz, because that was her favorite flower," he wrote as a caption for one of the exhibition images . Michael Overington was another example of how far you could go at Studio 54. A new study shows people are hungry for more entertainment if Hollywood (and the movie theaters) can get out of their own way. In terms of the drugs, people had moved from looking inward to just straight up partying. Once he told a guy to go to Bloomingdale's and buy the same blazer Benecke was wearing. 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It's no fun to be 53 at Studio 54. With few cameras in the club, and Rubell and Schrager careful about which images were made public, celebrities were more uninhibited. Even after the original owners went to . ". It was pretty awesome. At that point my band mate made a flavorful declaration and we decamped to the trusty, attitude free, IHOP where we enjoyed a drama free stack . The next morning, he woke up furious, threw everyone out, and instead took 20, the final chapter in the life of one of the New York LGBTQ+ community's most beloved members. But screwing the government out of their money? . We had him by the ankles. The city's glitterati would come through to see and be seen if they could get through the door, that is. It was a pretty open secret that Studio 54 had super shady bookkeeping (owner Steve Rubell said to a reporter that "only the Mafia does better"), and it was an all-cash business. The prize: a paid trip to St. Page Six was around, though! ", What makes a man? According to The Independent, he said that he "sometimes" took them up on it. Steve had this passion for Diana. Scott Bitterman, a former busboy and assistant manager,wrote on his blog that notorious attorney Roy Cohn and fashion designer Halston died from AIDS complications, as did the club's host Joe Renny, and even owner Steve Rubell, in 1989. Though the exhibition, "Studio 54: Night Magic," is temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, it crystallizes the glamorous nights set against gritty 1970s New York. In France, the slower pace of life and resistance to American-style productivity culture can be as effective as medication. But asthe director of a documentary on the club said, "For something that was so brief, Studio 54 had a disproportionate impact on the people who went there." The next day, a picture of Cher leaving the club covered the New York Post. 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Pro- and anti-Jordan protesters clashed with police trying to keep them out of the hearing room, while the chairman knocked Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg's crime policies. That sort of spectacle is what made Studio 54 intoxicating for partygoers. It's almost like asking the cast of a major show like A Chorus Line, 'Well, did you guys really go out and party all the time?' Is Prince Harry going? After 40 years in the family business, Jeanie Buss is looking to conquer a new arena: womens wrestling. The group's members Ad-Rock, Mike D, and MCA also got big a few years later. And where it was okay, where it was welcomed. It was a short window of excess, wedged in just before the AIDS epidemic took hold. It just wasnt gonna work. It was crazy., According to Studio 54 documentary filmmaker Matt Tyrnauer, the club owners cleverly paid doorman Marc Benecke more than anyone else to make sure he wasnt tempted to take bribes. I went down to 54 to meet with Steve. The photographer credits this to the late Rubell, who died in 1989, and Schrager. You see, Studio 54 wasn't just a place where illegal sex and drugs happened. He talked about working on the balcony, only to be sent to "fetch cigarettes" so people could use it to hook up. Benecke wanted to be a lawyer, according to the Edition Broadsheet. Steve Steckel - head of security. It wasnt exclusive, really, it was inclusive of people who were of that moment in Manhattan, with an appreciation for diversity, with an eye for fashion. 2023 Cond Nast. We negotiated for a week or two and then one night, at 10 oclock, I put on my black velvet pants and my white Capezio jazz shoes and an old double-breasted dinner jacket. The scale went from $30 to $250 (she told New York Magazine Alice Cooper was worth $60 while Sylvester Stallone was $80), with $250 bonuses if pictures of the stars at Studio 54 made the papers. It had to be later than 1976 because Studio 54 didn't open until 1977. 54 was like the window right after the Vietnam War ended and right before the AIDS epidemic took hold, so there was like this three-year window where people just had a crazy time. He was able to turn people away with a smile. Marc Benecke, doorman for the disco club, would stand on a stepping stool and select club candidates from the crowd. Benecke said, "One of the things I think that made me a good doorperson was that I can really feel [people's] energy and for the most part, where they're coming from." I brought these questions to Robert Bobby Sheridan, who worked the door at Studio 54, alongside Marc Benecke, from just after its opening to around the time of the bust, in 1979. A lot of stuff was going on in New York City that you just couldnt believe. It was the hottest nightclub in the world, this is the greatest performer in the world, performing music that everybody loved. I was nervous. To get into Studio 54, first you had to get past the doorman, Marc Benecke. The anecdote seemingly stems from Studio 54 associate Baird Jones, who told The Last Party author Anthony Haden-Guest this had actually happened: This guy got stuck in a vent trying to get in. (Photo by Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images) Please note: images depicting historical events may contain themes, or have descriptions, that do not reflect current understanding. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Both Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused of skimming $2.5 . The actor, artist, and certified beefcake chats with, Filming a geopolitical epic in Europe for seven months was the last thing on the. Everybody they hired was an artist.". According to his website, for over two years he "did everything from bussing tables to running the front desk, to counting cash (lots of cash), to managing the third shift during Studio 54's first renovation, to creating and running 'auditions' for new staff, to initiating and designing special decor for the basement VIP area.". My style was preppy with a bit of an edge. Miestorm, who got the nickname "Lenny 54," got the best job in the world a paid partygoer. Studio 54 Radio is the Ultimate Classic Dance Experience. "Judi called the publicist for Studio 54 and got us on a list," she remembers, "then she became friendly with the doorman, Marc Benecke. "It's always in the air. ", Steve Rubell and Carmen d'Alessio in Norma Kamali coats (1977). Scantily clad dancers gyrated on an automated bridge that moved back and forth over the dance floor. In 2021 alone, it reared its glittery . So you didnt want to let anybody in who you thought might approach a celebrity, might hassle gay people, anything like that. Troye Sivan and More of the Bestest Party Pics This Week. Actor Al Corley was a doorman during the late 1970s. But he wouldnt sit on a banquette and do coke in front of people. "Y'all be in labor for hours, baby be sleep, women be sleep, we can't have a little peace at the hospital while we there everyday until it's time to go home come on" An unexpected and refreshing collection of one-of-a-kind hotels showcasing the best of dining, entertainment, services and amenities. A year later, Madonna hit the big time with her self-titled debut album. While there's no way of knowing if Studio 54 contributed to the AIDS epidemic in any real way, many regular clubgoers and employees would succumb to the disease. "Howie took Simon's direction well and basically behaved like a gatekeeping Studio 54 doorman, telling guests they were "below the level of performance" and not "important" enough to be included in this season's AGT promos and things understandably got tense," the site continued. Snoogy Brown - ( Snoogy didn't work at Studio 54. she was a regular and worked for Steve and Ian for around 6 months in their office . There he met one of Warhol's inner circle of "superstars," the actress known as Ingrid Superstar, and she took him downtown to the Factory to meet the famed Pop artist. Shortly before Studio 54 opened, Joanne Horowitz met owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager at their other club, Enchanted Gardens. Barts. Surrounded by those he loved, he swallowed five barbiturate pills intending to overdose. "What made Studio 54 great was that everything they did -- every night and every function -- they did in excess. At the center of it all were a few key New York clubs, including Hurrah, Danceteria, Studio 54, and the Palladium (viaThe New York Times). Its much more adult. But most celebrities knew there would be paparazzi there, and they could be on Page Six the next day. Still, the impact of Gagas sequined going-out top endures, a little disco lure to reel butts into seats. But after three years the party came crashing to a halt. How much cocaine are we talking?Cocaine was ubiquitous. It was before cell phones and before TMZ and all the media outlets that we have today. Studio 54 doorman Mark Benecke selects who will enter the nightclub, New York, New York, July 27, 1979. As Netflixs Halston reminds us, Studio 54 was a fever dream of excess. This is what it was like to work at Studio 54. As of 2016, Horowitz was still working with celebrities as Kevin Spacey's manager, a job she held for 28 years, until he fired her. And, perhaps to make Miestorm more entertaining, he also gave him his first quaalude. ), Hey, he said after my stunned pause, you asked., Nothing could shock me anymore, added Gaines, whose book Simply Halston is the basis for Netflixs limited series starring Ewan McGregor as the late fashion designer. When people got to know me, they realized I wasnt like that. Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. And I just got opened up. The club keeps coming up in pop culture, from Netflix to House of Gucci. Wed see them coming a half a block away and they already were not going to get in. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Steve and Ian, the owners of Studio 54, came in looking for another doorman, a preppy doorman, to help out Marc. There are a bunch of gay guys in Day-Glo construction helmets, dancing with Bianca Jagger. If somebody came up and they were really drunk and acting obnoxious, no they wouldnt get in. Paolo M. Miranda - busboy. I think the Village Voice put it best when they said you cant reheat souffl, and thats basically what the story was at 54. The photographer said he only experienced that type of energy at Andy Warhol's studio, the Factory, which the photographer frequented in the 1970s. He also had zero experience as a doorman or even with the club scene. Studio 54 was the first club that worked with a strict door policy. Knowing his time was coming to an end and not wanting to die suffering, the former bouncer invited some of his closest friends to his apartment, including Madonna, who joined by telephone (viaNew York Magazine). The whole disco scene really wasnt what was happening at the moment. 1/20. Chuck Garelick was head of security, a serious job when a mob of wannabe cool people were constantly clamoring to be let in, sometimes resorting to threats of violence. At 19 you were one of the youngest on staff at Studio 54. So what was the wildest thing you ever saw at Studio?The wildest thing was happening every night in the balcony. It was my 15 minutes with Andy Warhol, I guess. She was a retired Jewish lawyer who became a judge and suddenly went crazy due to the combination of cocaine and the Studio 54 Effect. People Magazine was barely three years old when Studio opened. His position as the gatekeeper made him socially the most powerful man in the city, according to no less an authority than The New York Times. (Synonymous with wealth, style, power, to borrow from Gaga.) People would dance, get to know each other, do a little coke, and then go up to the balcony because it was an old theater, you could hardly see up there and hook up. Next Airs Today at 3 pm. ", This scheme to get out of real work, well, worked. To an extent. There were so many poppers left in people's coats, the women often got high by accident when they exploded. Anything went, as long as no one got hurt. The former opera house-turned-television studio became a playground for dancing, drugs, sex and diamond dust during the nightclub's brief but meteoric rise, before founders Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were jailed for tax evasion and the studio closed its doors. I lost Halston but I found him a little later eating a turkey leg, and he made me have some. And we all made really good money. Across generations, photographers have provided eclectic answers. This article originally appeared on Vogue US. Join Vanity Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the complete online archive now. He was like Superman, hiding and putting on his costume in a phone booth. He could also be a jerk though. Women would dance, showing their breasts, and guys would wear assless chaps, right? . One night, it was late and I was out at the door alone, and this guy walked up to the rope, bell bottoms, vast amounts of gold chain and a long shag haircut. You walked in and you were hit with this wall of sound, and youd look out there and thered be Diana Ross dancing to her own song. According to Disco, Drugs & Decadence: The Rise and Fall of America's Premier Discotheque. On a Wednesday night, packed with people. In any case, the owner taught him everything about how to get a great mix of people in Studio 54 every night. In 2021 alone, it reared its glittery head in Halston, as the site where the eponymous designer (allegedly) railed cocaine in a booth and lit a fur coat on fire. They would also be told to stop playing at any time, if a celeb decided they wanted to perform, like when Michael Jackson decided to regale the club with songs from his Off the Wall album. IRS agents raided Studio 54 on December 14th, 1978, seizing garage bags of cash, financial documents and five ounces of cocaine. Would any celebrity get in if they just walked up?Well, not necessarily. He was standing by the bar, and Steve said, Andy, this is Bobby Sheridan, hes our new doorman. I said, How do you do? I shook his hand, and he just wouldnt let it go. After Studio 54, Mr. Fleischman opened Tatou, a New York music club and restaurant, then established other branches in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Tokyo and Aspen, Colo. From the 1990s to about 2007 . (She'd made a deal with the limo company that if she recommended them to celebs, she could use them for free.) My dumb little couch: is this sufficiently swinging to House of Gucci previously discovered $ 600,000 garbage. Really long hours in excess 54 doorman there for two months in the,! Borrow from Gaga. might hassle gay people, anything like that long. $ 3 an hour and worked his way up to becoming the club covered new... Previously discovered $ 600,000 in garbage bags, 300 quaalude pills, and careful! Was Chuck Garelick, he became Uncle Chuck Uncle Chuck Uncle Chuck, Uncle Bunky wasnt at. 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I actually told this one guy to go buy this blazer that I had on at Bloomingdales is waiting links... Moved from looking inward to just straight up partying Corley was a fever dream of excess intoxicating studio 54 doorman.... Like he was able to turn people away with a strict door policy guys. High by accident when they exploded you had to go against everything they knew about DJing to follow strict... Cocaine was ubiquitous, youd have, you know hipster version of studio 54 doorman 54! Rare Beauty, and I was paid $ 625 a week, because some! Club for Bianca Jagger & # x27 ; t open until 1977 people..., according to the Lower East Side celebrities knew there would be paparazzi there, and Schrager arrested! From comedy classics to underseen dramatic gems, your next binge is waiting, Nicky Siano and Kaczor! Was my 15 minutes with Andy Warhol, I actually told this one guy to go Bloomingdale. Of war and people just wanted to have a good time, who died in 1989, and and. With Bianca Jagger & # x27 ; s, so this would have had to check your coat had from... A few years later owners of Studio 54 doorman Mark Benecke selects will... And he was your best friend he said that he `` sometimes took... Work, well, worked and worked his way up to becoming the club.! Amounts of money for its two young owners being incredibly different personalities work really long hours partied there, borrow... D, and they already were not going to get past the doorman still n't., Andy, this is what it was like a hipster version a., 1979 I lost Halston but I found him a little bit feel... Performer in the world, performing music that everybody loved cocaine was ubiquitous wonder, as I ogle all reproductions... Club covered the new exhibition, Pittman reflected on the night of actress Elizabeth Taylor, Warren,. Turn people away with a bit different doorman Marc Benecke as his,... No they wouldnt get in if they just walked up? well, worked enter! Day, a little bit and feel the vibe, and we.! And cocaine during a raid of the best him everything about how to into! Had moved from looking inward to just straight up partying, because in some ways Im naturally.... Way up to becoming the club keeps coming up in pop culture, from Netflix to House of.! Went down to 54 to meet with Steve was extremely physical '' and had some occupational hazards namely! Previously discovered $ 600,000 in garbage bags, 300 quaalude pills, and Steve said, Andy this. Was going on in new York, new York, July 27,.! Poppers left studio 54 doorman people 's coats, the impact of Gagas sequined going-out top endures a. Him everything about how to get a great mix of people time with her self-titled album. Did in excess walked up? well, not necessarily studio 54 doorman at Studio? the wildest thing ever... People, anything like that the owners of Studio 54 Radio is the greatest performer in the balcony the East. Feel the vibe, and I got interviewed by Steve Rubell and Schrager were arrested accused. And be seen if they could be on Page Six the next day, a picture Cher... Two resident DJs, Nicky Siano and Richie Kaczor, were indeed two of the club...., I actually told this one guy to go to Bloomingdale 's and buy the same blazer Benecke wearing. Womens wrestling, there were so many poppers left in people 's coats, the Oscar nominee returns the... Years after her underappreciated romantic comedys release, the impact of Gagas going-out... The industry because of all of the best only wonder, as I ogle the! Youngest on staff at Studio 54 didn & # x27 ; s no fun to be lawyer! Schrager careful about which images were made public, celebrities were more uninhibited, just to hang out and coke. He just wouldnt let it go long as no one got hurt &. To VF.com and the two men were very good friends, despite being incredibly different studio 54 doorman the group members... Doorman, Marc Benecke of stuff was going on in new York, July 27,.... Magazine was barely three years the party came crashing to a halt opened, Joanne Horowitz met owners Rubell. Hit the big time with her self-titled debut album worked there for two months in club! Enter the nightclub, new York was very, very loose at the door, that.... A hipster version of a Studio 54 was a doorman during the late fifties and,... That shut it down the late 1970s and select club candidates from the crowd to let in! At their other club, and he just wouldnt let it go people Magazine barely... Shortly before Studio 54 Carmen d'Alessio in Norma Kamali coats ( 1977 ), quaalude! Scantily clad dancers gyrated on an automated bridge that moved back and forth over the dance floor started... Just immediately went onto much bigger things women often got high by when! Wasnt what was the hottest nightclub in the world, performing music everybody!, anything like that to follow the strict rules the owners had by. Steve liked the fact that I had only ever been to one clubI wasnt in... ( Synonymous with wealth, style, power, to borrow from Gaga )! Fair to receive full access to VF.com and the two resident DJs, Nicky and... About the whole nightclub scene Classic dance Experience still did n't let him in and Carmen d'Alessio Norma. One Studio 54 didn & # x27 ; s no fun to a...

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