According to Rolling Stone, people would offer him anything to get in. Both Rubell and Schrager were arrested and accused of skimming $2.5 million in club earnings. New York Magazine interviewed former employees, including bartender Scott Taylor. When the builders were asked if they were making a "sex pit," the answer was simply, yes. They also recorded in detail how much cocaine they were selling, using the unbreakable code "party favors." The nightclub was known for dropping things from a net on the ceiling—often balloons, sometimes glitter. Alcohol was not the main thing people were after. One of the most famous pictures ever taken at the club was of Mick Jagger's then-wife Bianca (pictured above at a different event with John Travolta) atop a white horse being led around the dance floor by a naked man covered in glitter (and sporting a fabulous '70s mustache). They must have realized that the trippy sequences of flashing lights would appeal to the disco set, because they had a four-foot model designed and hung it over the dance floor. To celebrate New Year’s Eve in the late 1970s, event planner Robert … Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager’s iconic nightclub courted controversy right from the start, however. They were known to turn away some seriously well-known people. Parton ended up being less than amused and sat quietly most of the night. IRS agents raided Studio 54 on December 14th, 1978, seizing garage bags of cash, financial documents and five ounces of cocaine. (Quaaludes, a prescription sedative with hypnotic effects, were huge in the '70s and classily known as "panty droppers.") MSN called the drug-taking "endemic." The nightclub had its regulars: Andy Warhol, Truman Capote, Halston, Cher, Diana Ross, Brooke Shields, Michael Jackson, Calvin Klein, Bianca Jagger, Liza Minnelli, Rudolf Nureyev, and Debbie Harry…. Rubell and Schrager threw a star-studded farewell party before being sent off to prison. It was like a nonstop party.”. It wasn't that unusual for people to rappel down the neighboring building using full climbing gear, trying to get into the courtyard over a 10-foot wall with barbed wire on top. Patrons received this notice at the door: “Welcome! But in the sticks of the midcoast, a loose cartel of freewheeling, twenty-something drug dealers was building an empire — until one of the state’s most elaborate and far-reaching undercover operations brought it all crashing down. You would see it in people’s homes six months later, and you knew they’d been at Studio 54 on New Year’s.”. Undaunted, Studio 54 opened the next night anyway. 65 talking about this. Owner Steve Rubell is standing in his office in this photograph after, he claimed, federal police raided the area in search of drugs. During the first year the club was open, Schrager and Rubell got by with no liquor license. But we can still try to piece together some of the most messed up stuff that ever happened at Studio 54. At a raid on December 14, 1978, feds found a reported $600,000 in garbage bags hidden in the building, in addition to 300 Quaalude pills and at least a few ounces of cocaine (reports varied on the actual amount). It’s often reported that Jagger rode in astride a magnificent white horse, but last year, she issued a statement that corrected that notion: She didn’t ride in on the white horse. Photo: Miestorm - NYC ("The Busboy Photographs: Souvenirs of Studio 54") The club still stands where it always has at 254 West 54th Street in New York City. The doormen regularly had to be escorted home at the end of the night for their safety. Again, this is in a huge crowd of people on a street in Manhattan. The 1980s Drug Bust That Shook Midcoast Maine. So they were willing to wait and hope to get noticed and invited past the velvet rope keeping them away from all the fun inside. A cheetah might be sitting at the bar. There is a famous picture of former first lady Betty Ford (who had quit drinking and prescription drugs just a year before) hanging out with the stars while her Secret Service detail stands behind her. Alcohol was not the main thing people were after. A favorite of the cast of Saturday Night Live, it was covered with easy-to-clean surfaces. IRS agents … Rolling Stone reported that when Dolly Parton came to town for a concert, the owners decided the best way to make a country singer feel comfortable was to turn the club into a farm. According to the Independent, in 1978 co-owner Steve Rubell bragged openly in an interview about how well things were going, saying "only the Mafia made more money" the year before. Grace Jones recalled in an article for Elle that because the space was originally a theater, there was still a balcony area that was more private. Studio 54 will remain open; we thank you for helping make it the success that it is.”, Mick Jagger’s then-wife helped open Studio 54 when designer Halston held a birthday party for her there. There were few places in history crazier than Studio 54. Studio 54 opened April 26,1977, in what was built as the Fortune Opera House in 1927 and was later a Columbia Broadcasting System television studio. According to him he actually took the trash out and swept up while his co-workers partied. One journalist who was there frequently said, "Even if you weren't having sex with someone every night, you felt like you could.". For 33 months, from 1978 to 1980, Studio 54 was the place to be, it provided a space for hedonism, tolerance, glamour, subversion and freedom unlike any other before or since But if you were really famous, there was the basement. Taylor basically just showed up opening night and offered to work. The IRS perked up at that comment. One bartender co-wrote a novel in 1980 about a Studio 54-like club that was so close to reality, Andy Warhol wondered how he didn't get sued. Studio 54 co-owner Steve Rubell stands in his office, which he claimed was ransacked by federal agents looking for drugs, in 1978. One guy fell and had to be stretchered away. (A young Alec Baldwin was a busboy, and legend says he quit because he was too turned on by all the intimacy he witnessed.) ... From Studio 54 … Still others would try to be sneaky. He told Rubell outright that his uniform was ridiculous for working, and instead he was going to hang out and entertain the celebrities. In 1978, Studio 54 was raided by IRS agents for drugs and tax evasion. MSN called the drug-taking "endemic." Now an animal rights advocate, Bianca told the Financial Times (via the Guardian) that she didn't show up on the horse. This was ridiculous because if you want to get away with it you might skim 1-2 percent. The head of the State Liquor Authority got wind of the scam and conducted a sting; afterward, the club was closed for the night. It was just as much a part of the Studio 54 experience as the dancing. One club-goer talking to Vanity Fair remembered a Halloween party where the foyer was filled with booths of little people doing different random things to entertain the guests, including a family eating a formal dinner. CARMEN D’ALESSIO, 59 Then: Public Relations. Nearby trash cans always had to be emptied of bottles and other things that could become dangerous projectiles. Fortunately, there were places they could go to do the most extreme stuff. And they were not quiet about it. “I created Studio 54!” says D’Alessio. In 1977 Steve Rubell and Ian Shrager bought a disused theatre on 254 W. 54th St, New York, and turned it into the world's most famous nightclub, Studio 54. However, we have a variety of soft drinks and juices, and you are welcome to drink as much as [you] like at no charge. “Disco Sally” became a regular after one of her young friends told her that she should check out Studio 54 just once, to see it. Studio 54 co-owner Steve Rubell stands in disco office, which he claims was ransacked by federal agents looking for drugs. Sex, drugs and disco: The life and death of Studio 54, the legendary celebrity nightclub. Studio 54 is a former disco nightclub, currently a Broadway theatre, located at 254 West 54th Street, between Eighth Avenue and Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.The building opened in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House. The IRS was not fooled. In 1978, Milton Bradley had a launch party for their new game, Simon. While the club wanted to attract as many celebrities as possible, just being famous didn't necessarily guarantee you entrance. There was no need for word of mouth to grow this into a hot club; people were desperate to get in from the first night it opened. “Halston” does, by the way, imply that some time had passed — but not that much time. But soon the crowd started to build to ridiculous proportions. The Daily Beast says that on opening night, 11-year-old Brooke Shields was not only very illegally admitted but taken to the DJ booth personally by the owner. According to a New York Times article from the time, one night they were finally figured out and told they couldn't serve booze. Despite its infamy, for some reason, this Texan nightspot has never quite made it to the same ranks as Studio 54 in counter culture history. A star-studded thrill ride through decadent and drug-fueled parties at the legendary Studio 54.” But eventually the club was raided and its owners went to jail. Rubell liked to tell a story about a countess who took a fancy to one unnamed bartender and had him handcuff her to a pipe in the basement before having sex with her. Co-owner Steve Rubell was gay, which could explain why instead of the busty women you might expect, the bartenders at the club were all hunky guys. Apparently Studio 54 had paid only $8,000 in taxes in 1977. The picture that forms is that you had to see it to believe it. 16 Photos. One night a rejected hopeful came back and brandished a gun. Men and women whipped out their private parts and everyone started feeling up complete strangers. "Fellini gave us costumes from his film, The Clowns. This made him extremely popular, and they demanded Taylor stay when Rubell wanted to fire him. The agents entered the office seeking links to organized crime and arrested his partner Ian Schrager after reportedly finding cocaine among some papers he … Studio 54 had burned brightly from 1977 to 1980 as a hotbed for celebrities, cocaine, and crime. 1. Giancarlo Giammetti decided to throw a circus birthday party for his partner, fashion designer Valentino, three days before his birthday. RadarOnline.com has the whole story. Their uniform was a tiny pair of shorts and nothing else. A 77-year-old widow who became known as "Disco Sally" was a regular and was always allowed in when she showed up. A doctor had thoughtfully brought a giant box of Quaaludes with him. It wasn't subtle: Hung from the roof of Studio 54, dangling over the dance floor, was a giant crescent moon with a face, a cocaine spoon moving to and from its nose. Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli both performed. Sometimes entertainment went further. Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images. But two people we know were flat-out rejected were disco legends Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards of the band Chic. When Rubell was jailed for tax evasion, Warhol gave Rubell his own money-themed gift: a brass sculpture with dollar signs cut out. “People got the glitter in their hair, in their socks. IRS agents raided Studio 54 in December 1978, seizing cash, financial documents, and drugs, according to Rolling Stone.Accused of skimming $2.5 million off club earnings, Rubell and Schrager pleaded guilty to tax evasion and received the maximum sentence of three and a half years, a term that was longer even than they had operated Studio 54. The pair hired Roy Cohn to defend them, but on January 18, 1980, they were sentenced to three and a half years in prison and a $20,000 fine each for the tax evasion charge. Getting into Studio 54 could be impossible. Studio 54 busted in Bedford on Sept. 30. He'd gotten stuck and no one knew he was there until it was far too late. Oddly, one of the first people ever in the club was Donald Trump. Bodily fluids and coke dust can be hard to remove under normal circumstances. Studio 54 co-owner Steve Rubell stands in disco office, which he claims was ransacked by federal agents looking for drugs. The owners were skimming millions, up to 80 percent of their profits. Hindsight is 20/20, but people who were there swear they knew they were part of something historic. And, of course, disco music was blaring. Here are a few of the insane things (at least, the ones that are fit to print) we missed out on: To celebrate New Year’s Eve in the late 1970s, event planner Robert Isabell trucked in four tons of glitter for guests to dance on. It was just as much a part of the Studio 54 experience as the dancing. Ian Schrager, owner of the discotheque, revealed in a 2018 documentary about the club that “there were mattresses in the basement” and “the basement had bags of cash and drugs”. It wasn't that disco was dying or the club became uncool, it was that the owners were complete crooks. “I remember one time at Studio 54, and I was so naive,” she told Page Six. The owner, Steve Rubell, saw it as "casting a play," and getting the perfect mix of people was key. The head guy, Marc Benecke, was just 19, but his position made him one of the most important people in New York. “I was asked what I would like when I walked in, and I said, ‘Oh, Coke, please,’ and I meant Coca-Cola. It was all down to a misunderstanding; they'd been invited personally to a New Year's Eve party there by Grace Jones, but the guest list hadn't been updated. After Steve Rubell made a public statement that “only the Mafia does better” than Studio 54 when it came to money, the IRS took notice—the club had paid just $8000 in taxes in 1977. Once they did, a "mad sexual orgy" started. (Charles Ruppmann) (Originally published by … Amazingly, this worked, until it didn't. One employee at a southeast Austin Jack in the Box and two other suspects were arrested Tuesday after an undercover narcotics operation, according to Austin police. The Drugs, the Children, and the Prostitution Complaints The reality of Studio 54 life was much less rosy, at least for the other girls who worked there, even if Michelle claims differently. Messed Up Things That Happened At Studio 54. They also didn't do very much work. Co-owner Steve Rubell flaunted to the press in 1978 that “only the mafia made more money” than Studio 54. Get the latest news and breaking news on drug reports in your local area, the U.S. and worldwide on the New York Post. We still don't know even half of what went on behind those hallowed walls, but some people have been willing to spill a few details in interviews or memoirs. It wasn't subtle: Hung from the roof of Studio 54, dangling over the dance floor, was a giant crescent moon with a face, a cocaine spoon moving to and from its nose. In 1984, cocaine trafficking in Maine was considered an urban problem. Another employee, "Lenny 54," was open about the fact he wasn't going to just serve drinks. The world-famous Studio 54 nightclub, located in Midtown Manhattan, has been the subject of fascination and revery for over five decades.First opened in 1977 by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, Studio 54 was an iconic disco club known for its exclusivity, famous clientele, and its attitude towards open club drug use. (This was before the AIDS crisis hit, so people were much freer with their bodies.) The employee, stoned out of his mind, forgot to unlock her and went back to work. People began to notice that cash register rolls were replaced mid-evening. Come anytime you like, and you’ll get in.” You didn’t have to tell Sally twice—after that, she became a fixture there most nights. A new documentary charts the rise and fall of legendary nightclub Studio 54, the best place to party on earth from 1977 to 1981. Henry Winkler, who had been playing the Fonz on smash hit Happy Days for years at that point, was summarily rejected one night. So they would send limos to pick them up, making sure there was plenty of cocaine in them first. A thundering disco hothouse of beautiful people, endless cocaine, and every brand of sex…the scent of it subtly lingering in the air, a sensuous nuance of the distinctive atmosphere of the 54. She and her friend managed to get in, and Rubell was delighted to see her on the dance floor, telling her, “I like to see you here. In 1978 the club was raided and one of the principles of The Broadway Corporation was arrested and convicted for tax offenses. She called getting on it and riding around a "foolish decision.". A kind of unofficial VIP area in an already VIP club, it was where big celebrities went for their private trysts. He infamously walked around wearing a padded coat that hid his stash of cocaine, Quaaludes, and poppers. Unfortunately, Studio 54 came up against some problems during its successful run. Four tons of glitter on the floor. The club opened again under new management in 1981, and while the new owners also had wild events that attracted a plethora of A-list celebrities, the vibe just wasn’t the same. This meant the doormen had huge amounts of power. It was completely normal to see people walking around naked. By midnight, the huge group in the street had become "Sodom and Gomorrah." Former model Kevin Haley once recalled the elaborate (and politically incorrect) setup that was just the entrance to the party: “As you came up the ramp in the foyer, you looked through little windows into little booths with midgets doing things. Studio 54’s history goes hand in hand with ... coupled with the openness of drug use and sex, made it seem mythic. It probably didn't help that co-owner Steve Rubell had said that "only the Mafia does better" when it came to making money. The most tragically desperate individual was found in an air vent in black tie attire, dead. They were so angry about being denied entry that they went home and wrote a song about it. But 33 months was more than enough time for a dazzling array of hedonistic shenanigans. In a relatively small space were some of the most beautiful and richest people who ever lived. They put up signs apologizing, and everyone enjoyed juice instead. Studio 54 history sometimes glosses over the way that it ended with an FBI raid and drug bust. Inside Studio 54 takes the reader from Brazil to the heights of debauchery in the Virgin Islands and finally to New York City. A former school teacher, Samsudin has now dedicated his life to conservation and uses puppetry and storytelling to spread his message to the young about the importance of protecting mangroves in an area suffering massive coastal erosion. Not only was this accepted, but one of the biggest suppliers was the co-owner Steve Rubell. According to the Guardian, the owners helpfully supplied mattresses and everything. Here she is in action, terrifying Lawrence Welk. All very un-PC. The packed dance floor was the place to see and be seen, but not everything people got up to at Studio 54 was necessarily intended for an audience. "We had a circus ring with sand, and mermaids on trapezes," Giammetti said. Benecke says he "sometimes" took them up on it. “You felt like you were standing on stardust,” Ian Schrager later said. Studio 54 was an emblem of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. Rather, the owners presented it to her when she arrived as a birthday surprise. A few hours after the raid, people came to the club in droves, either to get the gossip or to support the owners. Well, Weekend Update has learned that the establishment of diplomatic relations with Red China is a direct result of yesterday's federal drug bust at the New York disco Studio 54. It was already at the party, and she rode it once she got inside, led around by a tall naked dude covered in gold glitter. Many of the celebs who were there are still alive, so other than vague rumors, we don't know the worst of what went down. Studio 54 existed for only 33 months, at the tail end of the Seventies, before killjoy internal revenue agents stormed its cavernous Manhattan premises, its two founders ending up in prison. Many believe the famed club was torn down after the IRS raid December 1980 for tax evasion, or at least after the club's final closing in 1986. It was "madness.". Jagger hoped that her letter would finally “put this Studio 54 fable—out to pasture.”. “I didn’t dance for 50 years because my husband didn’t like it,” she said. The Independent says others took a different tack, offering their bodies instead. The owners were always trying to top themselves, and it led to some ridiculous events. Not having alcohol wasn't a problem, of course, because this was the 1970s. According to the Daily Beast, he and his friends had no problem getting in because they showed up unfashionably early and were basically first in line. Studio 54 had arrived. To dodge strict rules about serving alcohol, the club didn't actually have a permanent liquor license for a long time. When Rubell told the press, rather ill-advisedly, that “only the mafia” made more money than Studio … Studio 54 started as it meant to go on. Due to an unfortunate misunderstanding, we are unable to serve alcoholic beverages tonight. He handed them out to a few dozen people around him and they waited the 15-20 minutes for them to kick in. People openly took poppers on the dance floor, and less openly shot up heroin in dark corners. Not that they actually waited to get inside for the fun to start. Another raid in December 1979 and a prison sentence would lead Rubell and Schrager to sell Studio 54, effectively confining the club’s sex, booze and drugs-soaked nights to partygoers’ memories. It was the end of an era. Before there was Instagram, there was Warhol. Maybe the most bacchanalian parties of the Greeks or Romans could give the club a run for its money, but that's about it. On February 4, 1980, Rubell and Schrager went to prison and Studio 54 was sold in November of that year for $4.75 million. Once they replaced the profanity, it would become their smash hit "Le Freak.". Unlike most businesses who are fiddling the books, Studio 54 kept detailed records of their illegality. If a regular night at Studio 54 was crazy, it was the special parties that were totally unacceptable. Before Rubell and Schrager were shipped off to prison to serve 13-month sentences, they were serenaded by Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli in front of a crowd that included Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone, Gia Carangi, and Richard Gere, among others. A second raid occurred in December 1979. It wasn't just animals that were taken advantage of. Instead, they would just apply for a temporary one every day they were open. Here's why it became so famous. When sex and money didn't work, people would get violent. They were out of their minds on drugs and indulging in their dirtiest fantasies. There is mixed reporting on whether notorious lady-killer Warren Beatty was told to leave or if he gave up on his own. It operated as an entertainment venue under various names until 1942, when CBS began using it as a radio and television studio dubbed Studio 52. The owners knew they needed celebrities to keep coming, and they knew celebrities liked free drugs. He was supplied with drugs and given a regular paycheck. There were "horses and donkeys and mules running through the club," as well as chickens in a pen. In the scene immediately before Liza leaves for rehab in this same episode, we see Halston reading an article in The New York Times with the headline “Rare Cancer Seen in 41 Homosexuals.” That article was published on July 3, 1981, a couple years after the Studio 54 shutdown above. Instead, they purchased daily permits intended for caterers, not nightclubs. Sure, Studio 54 was the most happening place to dance and let loose. If he liked you enough, he'd give you a little something. Heck, even Michael Jackson stated that Studio 54 was a place where anyone can dance and “be free.” To many celebrities, Studio 54 was a safe-haven, where they can be themselves and away from the spotlight, away from paparazzi and crazed fans. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for who gained entrance and who didn't. The original Studio 54 nightclub, which opened on this date in 1977, was open for less than three years before owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager were prosecuted for tax evasion. Mingling amongst the likes of Warhol, Halston, and Jagger was a 77-year old widow named Sally Lippman. Studio 54 was the universal epicenter of ’70s hedonism. On August 6, 1979, Halston hosted another birthday bash at Studio 54—this one for Andy Warhol. But on at least one occasion, the net contained gift boxes that held pricey goodies from various fashion houses. Asked about possible drug use in … Comparing yourself to organized crime is not the best idea if you have something to hide, which they did. And thank you for joining us this evening. After they were found guilty and sentenced to three and a half years each, they threw one last huge party the night before they went to prison. Classic Dance from the 70s to the 2000s "On a good night Studio 54 was the best party of your life," says Anthony Haden-Guest, who reported on the club as a journalist throughout its short existence. He gifted Warhol with a pair of roller skates, while Rubell simply gave him a garbage pail stuffed with cash. But if that wasn't enough, above the balcony was the "Rubber Room." Studio 54 was the hottest party spot in the world, defining the disco era in all its ecstasy and excess. Sometimes thousands of dollars changed hands. The goal is an exchange of celebrities between the United States and China which will then change its name to the Beautiful People's Republic. (Charles Ruppmann) (Originally published by … The investigation started in August and ended with arrests on drug charges ranging from the sale of crack cocaine and fentanyl to possession of heroin and Xanax. The Brothel of Bedford: The Prostitution Bust and the Corrupt Officials Who Went Down with It By Doug Brown. At 2 o'clock yesterday morning, several hours after Federal agents conducted a drug‐and‐tax raid at Studio 54, nearly 1,500 people were dancing and drinking at the discotheque. Celebs in the late 1970s pretty much had to go to Studio 54 or risk being left-out and permanently excluded. The people who did gain entry were just as bizarre. Even when they were under investigation for tax evasion and obstruction of justice, the owners renovated the club. Studio 54 became a safe haven for drag queens and gay men, like Rubell, but the exclusivity began to stir resentments. It got the attention of the IRS, and the club was raided on suspicion of tax evasion. Her regular appearances at legendary dance club Studio 54 were a mix of drug-fueled antics and inspired productions. ... And like any thriving business, Studio 54 accepted credit cards -- … Studio 54 had an epic few years, but that was it. 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Getting on it owner that lead him to Studio 54 became a safe haven for drag queens and men. And other things that could become dangerous projectiles effects, were huge in club... Open about the fact he was supplied with drugs and indulging in their socks debauchery in the '70s classily! Be hard to remove under normal circumstances rhyme or reason for who gained entrance and who did entry... And Gomorrah. '' you have something to hide, which they did, a prescription sedative with hypnotic,. The Broadway Corporation was arrested and accused of skimming $ 2.5 million in club.. Schrager and Rubell got by with no liquor license hedonistic shenanigans ever in the Islands! They were open him he actually took the trash out and entertain the celebrities news on drug reports in local.
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