What happened to the owners of Studio 54?
Studio 54 owners Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager sentenced for tax evasion in 1980. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |. Jan 18, 2016 at 11:48 AM. Disco co-owners Steve Rubell, left, and Ian Schrager in front of Studio 54. (AP)
How much did Studio 54 pay in taxes in 1977?
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.
Was Studio 54 an embarrassment to Schrager?
It was an embarrassment to me. It still is," Schrager told "CBS This Morning: Saturday" co-host Anthony Mason. Studio 54 was the hottest party spot in the world, defining the disco era in all its ecstasy and excess. But eventually the club was raided and its owners went to jail.
What happened to Studio 52?
The soap opera Love of Life was produced there until 1975. In 1976, CBS moved most of its broadcast operations to the Ed Sullivan Theater and the CBS Broadcast Center, and sold Studio 52. When CBS began marketing the building in 1976, various parties in the art and fashion world expressed interest in seeing it converted into a nightclub.
What happened to the owners of Studio 54?
Mark Fleischman, a nightclub impresario who purchased the hedonistic New York nightspot Studio 54 from its imprisoned founding owners and was its self-described “ringleader” in the early 1980s, died July 13 in Zurich. He was 82.
How long did Steve Rubell do?
Rubell and Schrager were sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison but reduced their sentences by turning in several other club owners. They were released from prison on Jan. 30, 1981, and sold Studio 54 a short time later. Mr.
What was the cover charge at Studio 54?
The $20 entrance fee to enter Studio 54 would be more than a band of four or five people would likely make to split between them from a gig at CBGB's. Prior to being a nightclub, Studio 54 was a CBS television and radio studio.
Who bought Studio 54 from Steve Rubell?
Mr. Fleischman, a hotelier and restaurateur, bought Studio 54 from its founders, the former college classmates Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, who had alchemized sex, drugs and celebrity to transform a former television studio on West 54th Street into a legendary disco.
How old is Steve Rubell?
45 years (1943–1989)Steve Rubell / Age at death
Is Studio 54 building still standing?
The club closed in 1986 and became a venue for rock concerts until it eventually closed completely in the late 1980s. The space remained vacant until 1998, when Roundabout moved its landmark production of Cabaret into the neglected theatre-turned-studio-turned-nightclub.
Was a body found in the vents of Studio 54?
In Studio 54, a 2018 documentary that featured the club's surviving co-founder Ian Schrager, he revealed that someone really was found dead after getting stuck in an air vent and suffocating after trying to enter the club illegally—but unlike in the show, it was a man dressed in black-tie attire.
Who hung out at Studio 54?
7 of the Most Famous People Who Frequented Studio 54Liza Minnelli. Yes, the Emmy, Oscar, Tony, and Grammy winner frequented Studio 54. ... Debbie Harry. Debbie Harry – Blondie's lead singer — also frequented the club. ... Elizabeth Taylor. ... Cher. ... Michael Jackson. ... Freddie Mercury. ... Salvador Dali.
What went on in the basement of Studio 54?
It was sexy times a go-go There was an “anything goes” attitude to sex at Studio 54. Mattresses in the basement were frequently the site of trysts, while the infamous balcony was designed – complete with easy-to-clean surfaces – as a place for couples to get it on.
How much did Studio 54 owners make?
Rubell pleaded guilty to reporting personal income of $55,675 for 1977 when his income actually was $131,862. Thus taxes due were $55,260, rather than the $18,052 he paid. Schrager reported making $40,838 in the same year when his income was $116,976.
How long did Studio 54 last?
33 monthsThe timing is haunting — Studio was open for 33 months, from April 1977 to January 1980. That 1980 date was also the beginning of the H.I.V./AIDS era, with the first cases surfacing about that time.”
Is 54 based on a true story?
In 1998, the director Mark Christopher released 54, a fictionalized film about the late, great 1970s New York City disco Studio 54.
What was the most famous NY nightclub in the 1970s?
Studio 54. Located on West 54th Street, Studio 54 opened its doors in 1977, quickly becoming one of the most notable disco nightclubs in Manhattan. The club was notorious for its elitism, by allowing mainly celebrities and public figures inside.
What was so special about Studio 54?
The club opened on April 26, 1977, at the peak of the disco dancing and music trend and quickly became popular. The original iteration of Studio 54 was noted for its celebrity guest lists, restrictive and subjective entry policies, extravagant events, rampant club drug use, and open sexual activity.
What do I wear to a Studio 54 party?
Dresses with a high slit and an open back, very low cut tops, jumpsuits, velvet anything, fur coats, glittery tiny dresses. Stilettos, and thigh high boots, and bare legs or fishnets – all are party details meant to give a bit of racy retro vibes to today;s night glamour.
How long was Studio 54 around?
The empire built by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager which truly represented the 70s only lasted for 33 months, but in those months the members of the club had more fun than most people have in a lifetime. The lifestyle of the members was pretty much a showcase of money, drugs, sex, and opulence.
What happened to Studio 54?
But eventually the club was raided and its owners went to jail. Schrager is now opening up about those years for a new documentary about the legendary night spot.
What is Studio 54?
Studio 54 is the one nightclub from the '70s everyone remembers. For most of his life, though, co-founder Ian Schrager has wanted to forget it. "I don't have only good memories. I have bittersweet memories. It was an embarrassment to me. It still is," Schrager told "CBS This Morning: Saturday" co-host Anthony Mason.
How long did Rubell and Schrager stay in prison?
During their time in prison, reduced to 13 months , Schrager and Rubell sold Studio 54. But the business partners would later redeem themselves, launching a boutique hotel business before Rubell died of AIDS in 1989.
Who is the co-founder of Studio 54?
Until recently, Studio 54 co-founder Ian Schrager couldn’t bring himself to tell his tell his daughters that he’d been locked up for massive tax evasion while running the iconic club — and thought quickly when they nearly found out.
How long was Schrager in prison?
Schrager served 14 months in prison, and paid a $20,000 fine. At the disco-themed after-parties — one on the hotel’s roof, and the other in its basement nightclub, a Club Called Rhonda — were Schrager, Ansel Elgort, Bob Colacello, Maggie Q, Helena Christensen, Patricia Field, Timo Weiland, Pari Dust, Sandra Bernhard and ...
Who defended Schrager in the 1980s?
During the Q&A at his Public Hotel, Schrager also said if he had to do it all over again, that he wouldn’t have picked the infamous attorney Roy Cohn — who defended Schrager and his Studio 54 partner, Steve Rubell, in the criminal case that ended in January 1980 — to represent him.
When did Studio 54 reopen?
Fox411: Mark Fleischman re-opened the famous Studio 54 in 1981 and is now opening up about his most memorably celebrity patrons. When the owners of New York City’s Studio 54 were indicted on federal income tax charges in 1979, Mark Fleischman knew he was next in line to take over the infamous nightclub. “Studio 54 was the most famous club in the ...
What is Inside Studio 54 about?
He recently released his memoir, “Inside Studio 54,” which details the rise and fall of Manhattan’s champagne and cocaine-fueled lair. “I was a patron there and I loved it,” he explained. “Then I heard Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell were busted.
Did Mick Jagger take care of himself?
Mick Jagger took care of himself. Rick James did not…. He and I were both born on February 1st, so we would have joint birthday parties together.”. There was also Fleischman’s encounter with King Juan Carlos of Spain in 1982, who made him an offer he refused — and still regrets.
Did Fleischman mix business with pleasure?
And Fleischman easily mixed business with pleasure. Every night, he gave his playlist to the DJ and danced for several hours where both stars and local patrons mingled on the floor. It was there where he made plenty of friends.
Why was Studio 54 closed?
Within a month of opening, the New York State Liquor Authority raided Studio 54 for selling liquor without a license and closed it. The owners of the nightclub said the incident was a "misunderstanding". The next night the club reopened, serving fruit juice and soda instead of liquor. Before the raid, the nightclub had been using daily "caterers' permits", which enabled the nightclub to serve alcohol but were intended for weddings or political events. The State had denied the daily permit for the night and raided the nightclub. The nightclub had been using these permits while waiting for its liquor license to be processed.
How much did Studio 54 make in its first year?
End of the first era. In December 1978, Rubell was quoted in the city's newspapers as saying that Studio 54 had made $7 million in its first year and "only the Mafia made more money". This got the attention of the IRS.
What was the name of the CBS studios?
In 1943, CBS purchased the theatre and renamed it Studio 52. CBS named its studios in order of purchase; the number 52 was unrelated to the street on which it was located. From the 1940s to the mid-1970s, CBS used the location as a radio and TV stage that housed such shows as What's My Line?, The $64,000 Question, Video Village, Password, To Tell the Truth, Beat the Clock, The Jack Benny Show, I've Got a Secret, Ted Mack and the Original Amateur Hour, and Captain Kangaroo. The soap opera Love of Life was produced there until 1975.
When did CBS start using Studio 52?
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. In 1977, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager opened a nightclub in the building, retaining many of former TV and theatrical sets and naming it for its street.
Who was the last guest at Studio 54?
Studio 54 closed with a final party on the night of February 2–3, 1980, when Diana Ross and Liza Minnelli serenaded Rubell and Schrager. Ryan O'Neal, Farrah Fawcett, Mariel Hemingway, Jocelyn Wildenstein, Richard Gere, Gia Carangi, Jack Nicholson, Reggie Jackson, and Sylvester Stallone were among the guests that night. Schrager and Rubell pleaded guilty to tax evasion and spent 13 months in prison.
When did CAT Entertainment lose its lease?
In late 1994 , Allied Partners acquired the Studio 54 properties and, after protracted litigation, CAT Entertainment lost its lease on the nightclub and ceased operations.
When was Studio 54 built?
1927. Architect. Eugene De Rosa. Website. www.roundabouttheatre.org. Studio 54 is a Broadway theatre and a former disco nightclub located on 54th Street in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building opened in 1927 as the Gallo Opera House.
How much did Studio 54 pay in 1977?
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.
What happened at Studio 54?
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. But 33 months was more than enough time for a dazzling array of hedonistic shenanigans.
What was Andy Warhol's birthday party?
4. Andy Warhol’s birthday party. On August 6, 1979, Halston hosted another birthday bash at Studio 54—this one for Andy Warhol. He gifted Warhol with a pair of roller skates, while Rubell simply gave him a garbage pail stuffed with cash.
What was the night at 54?
Another infamous night at 54 was the evening Dolly Parton held an after-concert party there, complete with bales of hay and live farm animals. 9. When the game Simon premiered at the club. In 1978, Milton Bradley had a launch party for their new game, Simon.
Who was Valentino's partner?
Giancarlo Giammetti decided to throw a circus birthday party for his partner, fashion designer Valentino, three days before his birthday. "We had a circus ring with sand, and mermaids on trapezes," Giammetti said. "Fellini gave us costumes from his film, The Clowns. Valentino was the ringmaster, and Marina Schiano came as a palm reader with a parrot on her shoulder.” Another infamous night at 54 was the evening Dolly Parton held an after-concert party there, complete with bales of hay and live farm animals.
Who was the model that recalled the elaborate (and politically incorrect) setup that was just the entrance to the party?
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. The one that sticks out in my head had a midget family eating a formal dinner. It was like a nonstop party.”
Did Mick Jagger ride a white horse?
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. 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. Jagger hoped that her letter would finally “put this Studio 54 fable—out to pasture.”
How much did Rubell make in the first year of Studio 54?
Rubell also dealt with the club's celebrity patrons, ensuring that they were thrown lavish parties. His approach worked and the club made $7 million during its first year. On December 14, 1978, Studio 54 was raided after Rubell was quoted as saying that only the Mafia made more money than the club brought in.
When did Rubell open Studio 54?
In April 1977 , they opened Studio 54 in the old CBS Studio on West 54th Street that the network was selling. Rubell became a familiar face in front of the building, turning people away and only allowing entry to those who met his pedantic standards.
What was the name of the hotel that Steve Rubell and Peter Gatien opened?
Steve Rubell and Peter Gatien later opened the Palladium , a large dance club famous for displaying art by Keith Haring, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol, and considered central to the New York club scene in the 1980s. In 1998, the Palladium was demolished so that New York University dorms could be built in its place.
When did Rubell and Schrager go to prison?
On February 4, 1980, Rubell and Schrager went to prison and Studio 54 was sold in November of that year for $4.75 million. On April 17, 1981, Rubell and Schrager were released from prison after which they lived at a halfway house for two and a half months.
Who played Steve Rubell in 54?
Mike Myers portrayed Steve Rubell in the 1998 drama film 54. Rubell has also been the topic of an episode of Biography titled "Steve Rubell: Lord of the Disco".
What was the name of the tax fraud that Rubell and Schrager were charged with?
In June 1979, Rubell and Schrager were charged with tax evasion, obstruction of justice, and conspiracy for reportedly skimming nearly $2.5 million in unreported income from the club's receipts, in a system Rubell called "cash-in, cash-out and skim.".
