Cherry Grove People- Michael Fesco
1935-2019
Michael Fesco was a creator.
In the summer of 1969 this Broadway chorus boy between gigs found himself managing what was being referred to as the Boom Boom room in Cherry Grove. He turned up for the interview in a black mohair suit and tie., and within a month found himself running the whole complex.
This included the hotel itself, the Sea Shack restaurant, and hotel bar. He immediately saw the potential in what he thought was the ugliest club he had ever seen. The club could fit 1,000 people easy, and so he set out to create Fire Islands first Disco at a time when gay liberation was exploding on the streets of Manhattan.
After going to a club called “Sanctuary”,
and experiencing the merging trend of a DJ and the crowds dynamic conversation that was beginning to happen he felt he had to bring that to Fire Island.
After reading a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald called ” The Ice Palace”
After reading a story by F. Scott Fitzgerald called ” The Ice Palace” he thought the name was perfect for the then Boom Boom room, which during season could get very hot.
Creating the new design Fesco armed with a staple gun he covered the walls with a rolls of discount industrial tin foil purchased on Canal Street, and in keeping with the latest trends the antique jukebox was replaced with a sound system and DJ who could establish a mood with a sweaty blend of dance music. The equipment was rented for the summer as this was all unfamiliar territory. The new Ice Palace Disco opened on May 30th 1970 with a line outside that ran all the way to the beach with 18,000 attending. Charging $5.00 admission his rent for the season was assured.
For several years the Ice Palace
did booming business. But competition from a nearby establishment, the Sandpiper in the Pines, made 1973 a rough year for Mr. Fesco, and he began turning his attention to Manhattan; management of the Ice Palace, which is still a popular gathering spot, passed to others.
In December 1974…FLAMINGO!
After 5 successful years on Fire Island it was a natural progression to bring the summer party to Gotham. he opened Flamingo in a 10,000 square foot raw space in SoHo… The industrial neighborhood was completely desolate after 6pm. He laughed, “You could shoot a cannon down Broadway and not hit a thing.” He took the 2nd floor for “a measly” $1,350 per month. The key feature of the loft was the absence of support pillars, which created a huge open space. He had carte blanche to “set the stage.” Fesco took a cue from his summer stock background where he had to produce a new play or musical every weekend. The club was open Wednesday through Sunday night’s Tea Dance, then Monday morning he would strip the club down to the bare walls and start over. The effort to outdo each lavish production forced him to think creatively and up the ante. Along with the weekly transformations Fesco began hosting theme parties. He started the Black Party, which was inspired by the Westside leather bars. DJ Richard Rivera would spin down-and-dirty music that set the mood for the evening. The crowd dressed in black and obeyed the power of the beat. He developed the contrasting White Party as a winter wonderland where, “everything was gorgeous and covered in shimmering white.”
For $600.00 you recieved a year membership. You had to have three exsisting members recommend you to recieve the opportunity. Fesco had developed an elite audience on Fire Island and envisioned Flamingo as the first disco catering specifically to the gay A-List. He felt he was opening his home to his friends and wanted to avoid the club being overpopulated by strangers crashing the party. The disco radiated for 7 glorious years and set the standard for New York nightlife. When fickle crowds migrated to the massive nightclub, The Saint, Fesco was forced to shut the doors. New York felt the loss. Fesco did not sit idle after Flamingo. In 1981 he was brought on to promote Sunday Tea at Studio 54, a club that copied his “members only” policy. Fesco sent opening night invitations to his members, his “Flamingettes”, but word got out of his return. His first party had a line that stretched down 54th Street and spilled onto 8th Avenue.
Sunday nights at Studio 54 were spectacular productions thanks to the deep pockets of the club’s owners, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. Studio 54 closed in 1984.
Fesco avoided opening a new club
until a real estate agent acquaintance found him a location he could not refuse. A restaurant at 20 West 20th Street built by singing duo Ashford and Simpson became the next home for Sunday’s Tea Dance. He named the club 20/20 for the unique address. Fesco opened the kitchen in 1988 and added a free buffet to Sunday’s Tea dance. Pictured (Whitney Houston, Roberta Flack, Diahann Carroll at 20/20 with Ashford & Simpson.)
Sea Tea: New York’s Only Gay Sailing Tea Dance…
was kicked off in the summer of 1997. He had originally dismissed the idea pitched to him by The Queen of Heart’s owner, Steven Salsberg; Fesco was not sure he could “get a bunch of queens on a boat.” He was swayed when Salsberg moved the Mississippi style river boat to the West Side’s Pier 40, just below Christopher Street.
Sea Tea
was hosted every Sunday from June to September with a double sailing on Pride weekend. The traditions that he created over 43 years of Tea continue…
Michael Fesco gave gay men a place to gather, dance and explore sexually at a time when homosexuality was largely unwelcome in mainstream society, died on April 11, 2019 in Palm Springs, Calif. He was 84.
Sea Tea continues
as party promoter Dougie Meyers continues the tradition once a season in September.
