Studio 54
The late 1970s saw a huge Disco boom across the world, fuelled by
the success of the 1977 movie Saturday Night Fever. As the records and the attire of those dancing
became more luxurious, so did the venues that housed them. And Studio
54 took downtown uptown. Opened on April 26, 1977, it became the model
for future clubs.
Run by restaurateur Steve Rubell and his
lawyer Ian Schrager and based in the old television studios on New
York's 54th Street, the club had 5,400 square feet of dance floor.
Nicky Siano was DJ for the first four months, and the strict door
policy of Marc Beneke became known as 'tossing the salad' - providing
a mix of high and low life to delight the club's megastar clientele;
the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Andy Warhol, Sylvester Stallone, Liza
Minnelli, Elizabeth Taylor, Ginger Rogers, Grace Jones and John
Travolta. Photographs of the partying
clubbers spread around the world and pretty soon every major city (and
a few minor ones) had their own Studio 54.
On February 4 1980, owners Rubell and Schrager enjoyed a big
farewell bash at the club before Steve Rubell surrendered to
authorities to begin a 3½ year prison sentence for tax evasion.
Schrager went on to become one of the most successful hoteliers in the
world.
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