from The Club King: My Rose, Reign & Fall in New York Nightlife, Courtesy of Little A
From the late 70s to the late 90s, Peter Gatien reigned as New York’s “King of Clubs”, running four of the city’s most hedonistic playgrounds which operated seven nights a week during that time. With Limelight, Tunnel, Palladium, and Club USA, Gatien brought Babylon back to life, introducing spaces where innovative and influential new forms of music, fashion, art and culture could flourish. Whether cultivating the Club Kidsphenomenon at Michael Alig’s weekly Disco 2000 party or bringing hip-hop royalty together for Mecca with Funkmaster Flex, Gatien had a magic touch.
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But Gatien ruled his kingdom from behind the scenes. With his distinctive eye patch and tall and rangy frame, he was known as a ghost, remaining in the background, and keeping his eye on the books. Ever discreet, Gatien was the consummate businessman who eschewed the spotlight, making sure the focus was always on the party and its denizens. However, his ‘live and let live’ ethos rankled the man who loved the cameras more than just about anyone else – then-mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who waged war on the city and its nightlife with his virulent ‘Quality of Life’ campaign. With Gatien in his crosshairs, Giuliani took aim, waging a vicious media and legal campaign that ultimately led to his deportation in 2003.
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