When gay bars were owned by the Mafia

Contents:

• WHEN THE MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS
• HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE
• WHY THE MAFIA CONTROLLED STONEWALL AND THE OTHER GAY BARS 1960S NEW YORK
• HOW THE MAFIA MCLED AND CONTROLLED THE STONEWALL INNBULLY OF THE TOWNGREENWICH VILLAGE WAS THE GENOVE FAY’S BACKYARD, SO OF URSE THE MOB HAD A HAND EVERY EXTRA-LEGAL ENTERPRISE, STARTG WH BARS THAT TERED TO GAY PATRONS.RONALD K. FRIEDUPDATED NOV. 20, 2019 11:42AM EST / PUBLISHED JUN. 29, 2019 10:18PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTAFTER THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE STONEWALL RTS, GRAFFI SCRAWLED NEXT TO THE BOARD-UP BAR SUMMARIZED THE FORC ALIGNED AGAST GAY BAR PATRONS NEW YORK 1969:PROHIBITIONCORUPT$ COPS$FEED$ MAFIA A PAMPHLET SOON APPEARED URGG GAY NEW YORKERS TO “GET THE MAFIA AND THE PS OUT OF GAY BARS.”  ITS THOR WAS CRAIG RODWELL, OWNER OF THE OSR WIL MEMORIAL BOOKSHOP GREENWICH VILLAGE, AND AN EARLY PROPONENT OF THE NEED TO STAND UP TO THE POLICE AND THE GENOVE CRIME FAY, WHICH AT THAT TIME NTROLLED MOST GREENWICH VILLAGE GAY BARS, CLUDG THE STONEWALL INN. IT’S A MEASURE OF THE URAGE DISPLAYED BY THE NIZENS OF THE STONEWALL AND THEIR SUPPORTERS THAT THEY WERE, EFFECT, TAKG ON TWO GANGS: THE MAFIA AND THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT’S BEE BACK THEN THE NYPD OFTEN FUNCTNED AS A LEGALLY SANCTNED GANG THAT HARASSED GAY MEN AND WOMEN.“IT WAS REALLY HEROIC,” SAYS ALEX HORTIS, THOR OF THE MOB AND THE CY, AN EXHSTIVELY REARCHED HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK MAFIA. “A LOT OF PEOPLE NEW YORK WERE TERRIFIED OF THE MAFIA. IMAGE BEG UP AGAST NOT ONLY THE LEGAL APPARAT, BUT ALSO THE UNRWORLD.” RUNNG GAY BARS WAS ACTUALLY AN IAL BS FOR THE MOB.“THE MAFIA DIDN’T PICK ON PEOPLE THEIR OWN SIZE,” SAYS HORTIS, WHOSE NEXT BOOK FOC ON THE MOB’S ROLE GAY BARS NATNWI. “THEY TEND TO PICK ON THE WEAK, PECIALLY PEOPLE WHO ULDN’T GO NNG TO THE POLICE.” AND AS LATE AS 1969, THIS WAS CERTALY TE OF THE LGBT MUNY. DRAG QUEENS WERE PECIALLY VULNERABLE SCE WAS ILLEGAL FOR A NEW YORKER TO DRS AS A MEMBER OF THE OPPOSE SEX.  THE MOB’S DOMATN OF GAY BARS WAS A NATURAL OUTGROWTH OF S ROLE NNG SPEAKEASI DURG PROHIBN. THE 25TH AMENDMENT, WHICH END PROHIBN 1933, GAVE STAT “VIRTUAL RTE BLANCHE THORY TO REGULATE ALHOL,” SAYS HORTIS, A PRACTICG ATTORNEY WHO BRGS HIS LEGAL EXPERTISE TO HIS ANALYSIS OF MAFIA HISTORY. THE NSTUTNAL CHANGE HAND STATE ERNMENTS A TOOL TO CRACK DOWN ON HOMOSEXUALS.  WHAT FOLLOWED WAS WHAT HORTIS LLS, “GAY PROHIBN—A FORM OF ALHOL PROHIBN, EXCEPT THAT THE RTRICTNS WERE ON HOMOSEXUALS.” AT TIME OF THE STONEWALL UPRISG, SAME-SEX KISSG AND DANCG BARS WAS NSIRED “DISORRLY NDUCT” AND ULD RULT THE LOSS OF A LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THE BAR.IN THIS HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT, GAY BAR OWNERS NEED PROTECTN OM THE POLICE—A SERVICE THAT THE MOB HAD FE-TUNED DURG PROHIBN. AND MANY MEMBERS OF THE GAY MUNY ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THEIR BARS OPEN WAS TO RELY ON THE MOB. AS HORTIS PUTS , THE MAFIA “KNEW HOW TO TURN THE REGULATORY STATE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.”THE STONEWALL WAS NOMALLY OWNED BY THREE MAFIA-NNECTED LOWLIF. THE REAL BOSS, HOWEVER, WAS GENOVE FAY PO MATTY “THE HORSE” IANNIELLO.  THE GANGSTERS WHO RAN THE STONEWALL REPORTEDLY PAID THE SIXTH PRECCT OF THE NYPD A MONTHLY STIPEND OF $1,200 TO KEEP THE CLUB NNG WH ONLY TOKEN POLICE TERFERENCE.  AND THE MOB KNEW HOW TO ELIMATE ANY PETN. “THEY KNEW IF THEY GOT THE RIGHT POLICE THEIR POCKET, THE POLICE ULD SHUT DOWN ANY BAR,” HORTIS SAYS. IF THAT FAILED, THREATS ALWAYS WORKED. A MEMBER OF “THE FAY” WOULD SHOW UP TO EHER SHUT DOWN A PETG GAY BAR OR JT TAKE OVER. “ULTIMATELY ’S THE THREAT OF VLENCE THAT BACKS UP EVERYTHG,” HORTIS STRS.AND, OF URSE, AS HISTORIAN DAVID CARTER TAILS HIS EXCELLENT STONEWALL: THE RTS THAT SPARKED THE GAY REVOLUTN, THE MOBSTERS WERE TERRIBLE BAR OWNERS WHO RED ONLY ABOUT MAXIMIZG PROFS. THE STONEWALL HAD NO FIRE EX. THERE WAS NO NNG WATER BEHD THE BAR. GLASS WERE NOT WASHED, BUT ONLY RSED SKS OF WATER THAT GREW CREASGLY FILTHY AS A NIGHT WORE ON. THE TOILETS ROUTELY OVERFLOWED. THE LACK OF HYGIENE WAS BLAMED FOR AN OUTBREAK OF HEPATIS AMONG THE BAR’S PATRONS.  THE STONEWALL HAD NO LIQUOR LICENSE. INSTEAD, FUNCTNED AS A “BOTTLE CLUB,” AND PATRONS WERE CHARGED A FEE JT TO WALK THE DOOR. THE MOB PROVID STOLEN LIQUOR THAT WAS THEN WATERED DOWN, AND THE DRKS WERE NOTORLY AWFUL AND OVERPRICED. THE CIGARETTE MACH AND JEBOX SI THE BAR WERE ALSO MOB-NTROLLED.  “'SO YOU HAVE A VULNERABLE, ILLEGAL DTRY THE BACKYARD OF THE MAFIA. OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO EXPLO THAT.'”— ALEX HORTIS “OVER A WEEKEND, THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKG AND DRKG,” HORTIS SAYS, “SO YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT VERY HIGH PROF MARGS.” ACRDG TO THE CELEBRATED LGBT HISTORIAN MART DUBERMAN, THE OWNERS OF THE STONEWALL PAID A MERE $300 MONTHLY RENT AND ULD PULL AS MUCH AS $11,000 SH DURG A BY WEEKEND. AND THE MOB RRIED OUT ANOTHER ILLEGAL BS WH THE STONEWALL: DG ALG.  THEN THERE WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR BLACKMAIL. NEW YORK CY SCHOOL TEACHERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS IF THEY WERE ARRTED A POLICE RAID ON A GAY BAR OR WERE OTHERWISE PUBLICLY OUTED.FERAL EMPLOYE ALSO WERE VULNERABLE, AS WERE CLOSETED CELEBRI AND WEALTHY WALL STREET TYP.  IN RETROSPECT, WAS EVABLE THAT THE GENOVE CRIME FAY WOULD N THE VILLAGE’S GAY BARS BEE THE VILLAGE WAS THE GENOV’ HOME TURF.“THAT WAS THEIR BACKYARD,” HORTIS EXPLAS. “SO YOU HAVE A VULNERABLE, ILLEGAL DTRY THE BACKYARD OF THE MAFIA. OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO EXPLO THAT—OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND TRY TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF .”THE GENOVE FAY WAS THE GAY BAR BS LONG BEFORE THE STONEWALL. IN FACT, VO GENOVE’S SEND WIFE, ANNA, WAS A PARTNER SEVERAL LEGENDARY LOWER MANHATTAN DRAG BARS OF THE ’30S, CLUDG THE HOWDY CLUB, THE 181 CLUB, AND CLUB 84, WHOSE PATRONS CLUD GRETA GARBO AND JUDY GARLAND. ANNA’S PARTNER WAS STEVEN FRANSE, ONE OF THE ONLY MOBSTERS THE PARANOID VO GENOVE TSTED. AND THERE LI A RELATED SORDID TALE.WHEN GENOVE FLED TO ITALY 1937 TO AVOID PROSECUTN ON A MURR CHARGE, HE TOLD FRANSE TO LOOK AFTER HIS BS TERTS AND KEEP AN EYE ON ANNA. BUT, AS HORTIS SAYS, “ANNA WAS HIGH MATENANCE, TO PUT BLUNTLY. SHE WAS A DIVA.”  DURG VO’S ABSENCE, ANNA, LONG MORED TO HAVE BEEN BISEXUAL, IS SAID TO HAVE BEDD MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE. ACRDG TO HORTIS, “THERE ARE DRAG QUEENS OM THAT ERA WHO SAY THEY SAW HER PICKG UP SOME OF THE ENTERTAERS.” IN 1952, WHEN ANNA FILED FOR DIVORCE OM GENOVE, SHE REVEALED THAT HIS E OM THE ITALIAN LOTTERY ALONE WAS AS MUCH AS $30,000 A WEEK. THE OTHERWISE VIC GENOVE REPORTEDLY DIDN’T HAVE THE HEART TO HAVE ANNA MURRED, SO HE DID THE NEXT BT THG: HE ORRED THE 1953 MURR OF FRANSE FOR HIS SUPPOSED FAILURE TO KEEP ANNA UNR NTROL. AS PER VO’S ORRS, WAS A PARTICULARLY VIC BOUT: FRANSE WAS FIRST BEATEN AND THEN STRANGLED WH A CHA. THE GOME TAILS N BE FOUND THAT CLASSIC MOB TELL-ALL THE VALACHI PAPERS.THE MAFIA’S GRIP ON VILLAGE GAY BARS DID NOT END THERE.  AND NTUED EVEN AFTER THE MOB CLOSED THE STONEWALL, SHORTLY AFTER THE RTS.  FOR ONE THG, THE UPRISG BROUGHT PUBLICY, WHICH IS ALWAYS BAD NEWS FOR THE MOB.  (LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO JOHN GOTTI AFTER HE BEME FAMO.) “EVERYONE NOW KNEW THE STONEWALL WAS A MOB BAR,” DAVID CARTER EXPLAS. “THE STONEWALL WAS NOW AAID TO SERVE LIQUOR WHOUT A LICENSE. THEY TRIED TO MAKE AS A JUICE BAR, BUT CLOSED THREE MONTHS LATER.”SOON CRAIG RODWELL—A RELATIVELY UNSUNG HERO OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT WHO IS CREDED WH BEG THE FIRST PERSON TO PROPOSE THE GAY PRI PARA—BEGAN URGG A BOYTT OF MOB-OWNED BARS.  “HE WAS THE MA PROPAGANDIST OF THE UPRISG,” SAYS CARTER. “I N’T THK OF ANYONE WHO IS MORE CENTRAL TO THE HISTORY THAN CRAIG.” EVENTUALLY, GAY-OWNED GAY BARS OPENED AND RAN THEIR TABLISHMENTS, OFFERG AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAFIA-NTROLLED BARS. BUT THE MOB DIDN’T SIMPLY TURN AND N, SAYS THOR LUCIAN K. TSTT IV, WHO VERED THE STONEWALL RTS FOR THE VILLAGE VOICE.“DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THKG THAT THERE WAS A DAY THAT THE MOB LOOKED AT STONEWALL AND CID, ‘LET’S GET OUT OF THIS BS,’” TSTT SAYS. “THEY WOULDN’T GET OUT OF A BS WHERE THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNY TO GOUGE PEOPLE AND MAKE AN UNREASONABLE PROF.”INSTEAD, THE MOB MCLED ON GAY BARS THE SAME WAY THEY TOOK OVER STRAIGHT BARS: BY GIVG UR LOANS TO BAR OWNERS WH TAX OR OTHER FANCIAL PROBLEMS OR SIMPLY G THE THREAT OF VLENCE TO GET A PIECE OF THE ACTN. OFTEN, TSTT SAYS, THEY WOULD TURN STRAIGHT BARS TO GAY BARS BEE THE PROF MARGS WERE HIGHER.AND THE MAFIA NTUED TO TER TO—OR EXPLO—THE LGBT MUNY OTHER WAYS, ACRDG TO ALEX HORTIS. ADAPTG TO A CHANGG ENVIRONMENT, THE MAFIA MOVED TO BATH HO, LEATHER BARS, AND GAY PORNOGRAPHY. HORTIS, WHOSE MOB AND THE CY DO A BRILLIANT JOB OF BUNKG MANY OF THE MYTHS ABOUT THE MAFIA, ARGU THAT THE NNECTN BETWEEN THE MOB AND GAY LIFE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISG.   “WHEN PEOPLE ASSUME THAT THE MAFIA IS PARTICULARLY HOMOPHOBIC, THEY’RE LOOKG BACKWARDS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE CLOSET,” HE SAYS. “THEY’RE LOOKG AT HOW THE MAFIA WAS THE ’80S AND ’90S—AND THE FICTNAL PORTRAYALS OF THEM—AND MORE BROADLY ITALIAN-AMERIN CULTURE. BUT WHAT THEY’RE FETTG IS THAT EARLIER ON, WAS VERY DIFFERENT. SAME-SEX ACTIVY WAS UNUALLY HIGH AMONG ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS BEE WASN’T NSIRED GAY OR HOMOSEXUAL, WAS JT SEXUAL RELEASE.” AND AS HORTIS POTS OUT THE MOB AND THE CY, MOBSTER “CRAZY” JOEY GALLO “TALKED ABOUT HOW ‘NORMAL, NATURAL, AND UNREMARKABLE’ HOMOSEXUALY WAS PRISON.”SO WHAT LSONS N BE DRAWN OM THE NNECTN BETWEEN THE MAFIA AND THE GAY MUNY?"WHEN THE STATE FORCED GAY AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE TO THE CLOSET,” HORTIS SAYS, “THEY WERE DRIVEN TO THE CLUTCH OF ANIZED CRIME. LGBT PEOPLE WERE FIGHTG NOT ONLY THE STATE, BUT EXPLOATN BY THE MAFIA. THE LSON IS THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE GAY PEOPLE EVERY SOCIETY. WHEN THE STATE TRI TO SUPPRS THEM, THEY WON'T JT DISAPPEAR; THE HARMS TO THEM WILL ONLY BE POUND." RONALD K. FRIED
• WHEN GAY BARS WERE OWNED BY THE MAFIA
• HOW NYC’S GAY BARS THRIVED BEE OF THE MOB
• TAG: GAY BARS
• DID THE MAFIA NTROL WISNS'S EARLIT GAY BARS?
• THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE MOB
• THE WORLD'S BT GAY TRAVEL GUI

WHEN THE MAFIA CONTROLLED GAY BARS

Meticuloly documents how the mob once had a near-monopoly on gay bars for s New York and Chigo, and reli upon an extensive llectn of primary sourc cludg FBI fil many of which were not publicly available until acquired by the thor through the Freedom of Informatn Mafia and the Gays by Phillip Crawford Crawford illtrat how the gay bars historilly were tegrated to the Mafia rackets. Jebox kg Aled Miaci fund dozens of gay bars and other jots ntrolled by the Mafia the 1950s and 1960s cludg the Peppermt Lounge. Among the powerful mobsters who oversaw vast terts LGBT nightlife were Gambo unrboss Aniello Dellacroce, Genove po Matty Ianniello, Colombo unrboss Sonny Franze New York, and Joseph DiVar who ran the Rh Street crew on the Near North Si for the Outf Mafia had ti to some of the most inic gay tablishments cludg the Contental Baths the Hotel Ansonia om 1969 to 1976 on the Upper Wt Si which received protectn om the Colombo fay exchange for stallg s vendg mach.

Contental owner Steve Ostrow — a classilly-traed opera sger — veloped such close ti wh Joe Colombo that he was performg “The Star–Spangled Banner” at the June 29, 1970 Italian-Amerin Uny Day rally Columb Circle when the mob boss was LGBT muny once was married to the mob out of forced necsy but after gay bars beme legal the relatnship often ntued many tablishments out of mutual nvenience well to the 1980s. Gay bars no longer were bted simply for homosexual assembly but they still risked raids if servg as sex clubs or dg drops. If a bar had a back room for anonymo sex, operated afterhours, or sold dgs or boys, then odds are was a Mafia jot, and that volved numero plac durg the 1970s and Mafia hijacked gay liberatn for polil ver and ed so-lled Auntie Gays — the Uncle Toms of the gay muny — as ontmen for their bars to eva spicn.

HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE

The wiseguys allegedly even filtrated the Christopher Street Liberatn Day Commtee and Christopher Street Ftival Commtee which ran New York Cy’s gay pri para and some related events for much of the 1970s and the s there has been a fair number of gay guys the mob’s ranks cludg cross-drsg Genove soldier David Petillo who once was a boy prostute; hman Vo Arena om Roy DeMeo’s Gambo crew; and DeCavalnte boss John D’Amato.

There is no shortage of bad gays The Mafia and the Gays, and most disturbg are the allegatns of the mob’s role nng unrage boy prostutn rgs. Was terviewed for VICE about The Mafia and the Gays, and Culture Trip clus the book on s list of 10 Books About the Mafia You Need to Read as “a surprisg but sential history of the mob’s ntrol over New York’s gay club scene well to the 1980s. But between New York’s LGBT muny the 1960s beg forced to live on the outskirts of society and the Mafia’s disregard for the law, the two ma a profable, if uneasy, the gay muny blossomed New York Cy the 1960s, members had few plac to gather publicly.

WHY THE MAFIA CONTROLLED STONEWALL AND THE OTHER GAY BARS 1960S NEW YORK

At the time, was still illegal to serve gay patrons alhol, to display homosexualy public or for two gay people to dance together.

Unr the guise of New York State’s liquor laws that barred “disorrly” premis, the State Liquor Authory and the New York Police Department regularly raid bars that tered to gay the law saw viance, however, the Mafia saw a goln bs opportuny. “Fat Tony, ” purchased the Stonewall Inn 1966 and transformed om a bar and rtrant that attracted straight clientele to a gay bar and nightclub.

Dpe s ls-than-ial ndns, Stonewall quickly beme a popular statn the gay muny—even somethg of an stutn. It was the only place where gay people uld openly dance close together, and for relatively ltle money, drag queens (who received a bter receptn at other bars), naways, homels LGBT youths and others uld be off the streets as long as the bar was open.

HOW THE MAFIA MCLED AND CONTROLLED THE STONEWALL INNBULLY OF THE TOWNGREENWICH VILLAGE WAS THE GENOVE FAY’S BACKYARD, SO OF URSE THE MOB HAD A HAND EVERY EXTRA-LEGAL ENTERPRISE, STARTG WH BARS THAT TERED TO GAY PATRONS.RONALD K. FRIEDUPDATED NOV. 20, 2019 11:42AM EST / PUBLISHED JUN. 29, 2019 10:18PM EDT PHOTO ILLTRATN BY ELIZABETH BROCKWAY/THE DAILY BEASTAFTER THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE STONEWALL RTS, GRAFFI SCRAWLED NEXT TO THE BOARD-UP BAR SUMMARIZED THE FORC ALIGNED AGAST GAY BAR PATRONS NEW YORK 1969:PROHIBITIONCORUPT$ COPS$FEED$ MAFIA A PAMPHLET SOON APPEARED URGG GAY NEW YORKERS TO “GET THE MAFIA AND THE PS OUT OF GAY BARS.”  ITS THOR WAS CRAIG RODWELL, OWNER OF THE OSR WIL MEMORIAL BOOKSHOP GREENWICH VILLAGE, AND AN EARLY PROPONENT OF THE NEED TO STAND UP TO THE POLICE AND THE GENOVE CRIME FAY, WHICH AT THAT TIME NTROLLED MOST GREENWICH VILLAGE GAY BARS, CLUDG THE STONEWALL INN. IT’S A MEASURE OF THE URAGE DISPLAYED BY THE NIZENS OF THE STONEWALL AND THEIR SUPPORTERS THAT THEY WERE, EFFECT, TAKG ON TWO GANGS: THE MAFIA AND THE NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT’S BEE BACK THEN THE NYPD OFTEN FUNCTNED AS A LEGALLY SANCTNED GANG THAT HARASSED GAY MEN AND WOMEN.“IT WAS REALLY HEROIC,” SAYS ALEX HORTIS, THOR OF THE MOB AND THE CY, AN EXHSTIVELY REARCHED HISTORY OF THE NEW YORK MAFIA. “A LOT OF PEOPLE NEW YORK WERE TERRIFIED OF THE MAFIA. IMAGE BEG UP AGAST NOT ONLY THE LEGAL APPARAT, BUT ALSO THE UNRWORLD.” RUNNG GAY BARS WAS ACTUALLY AN IAL BS FOR THE MOB.“THE MAFIA DIDN’T PICK ON PEOPLE THEIR OWN SIZE,” SAYS HORTIS, WHOSE NEXT BOOK FOC ON THE MOB’S ROLE GAY BARS NATNWI. “THEY TEND TO PICK ON THE WEAK, PECIALLY PEOPLE WHO ULDN’T GO NNG TO THE POLICE.” AND AS LATE AS 1969, THIS WAS CERTALY TE OF THE LGBT MUNY. DRAG QUEENS WERE PECIALLY VULNERABLE SCE WAS ILLEGAL FOR A NEW YORKER TO DRS AS A MEMBER OF THE OPPOSE SEX.  THE MOB’S DOMATN OF GAY BARS WAS A NATURAL OUTGROWTH OF S ROLE NNG SPEAKEASI DURG PROHIBN. THE 25TH AMENDMENT, WHICH END PROHIBN 1933, GAVE STAT “VIRTUAL RTE BLANCHE THORY TO REGULATE ALHOL,” SAYS HORTIS, A PRACTICG ATTORNEY WHO BRGS HIS LEGAL EXPERTISE TO HIS ANALYSIS OF MAFIA HISTORY. THE NSTUTNAL CHANGE HAND STATE ERNMENTS A TOOL TO CRACK DOWN ON HOMOSEXUALS.  WHAT FOLLOWED WAS WHAT HORTIS LLS, “GAY PROHIBN—A FORM OF ALHOL PROHIBN, EXCEPT THAT THE RTRICTNS WERE ON HOMOSEXUALS.” AT TIME OF THE STONEWALL UPRISG, SAME-SEX KISSG AND DANCG BARS WAS NSIRED “DISORRLY NDUCT” AND ULD RULT THE LOSS OF A LIQUOR LICENSE FOR THE BAR.IN THIS HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT, GAY BAR OWNERS NEED PROTECTN OM THE POLICE—A SERVICE THAT THE MOB HAD FE-TUNED DURG PROHIBN. AND MANY MEMBERS OF THE GAY MUNY ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THEIR BARS OPEN WAS TO RELY ON THE MOB. AS HORTIS PUTS , THE MAFIA “KNEW HOW TO TURN THE REGULATORY STATE TO THEIR ADVANTAGE.”THE STONEWALL WAS NOMALLY OWNED BY THREE MAFIA-NNECTED LOWLIF. THE REAL BOSS, HOWEVER, WAS GENOVE FAY PO MATTY “THE HORSE” IANNIELLO.  THE GANGSTERS WHO RAN THE STONEWALL REPORTEDLY PAID THE SIXTH PRECCT OF THE NYPD A MONTHLY STIPEND OF $1,200 TO KEEP THE CLUB NNG WH ONLY TOKEN POLICE TERFERENCE.  AND THE MOB KNEW HOW TO ELIMATE ANY PETN. “THEY KNEW IF THEY GOT THE RIGHT POLICE THEIR POCKET, THE POLICE ULD SHUT DOWN ANY BAR,” HORTIS SAYS. IF THAT FAILED, THREATS ALWAYS WORKED. A MEMBER OF “THE FAY” WOULD SHOW UP TO EHER SHUT DOWN A PETG GAY BAR OR JT TAKE OVER. “ULTIMATELY ’S THE THREAT OF VLENCE THAT BACKS UP EVERYTHG,” HORTIS STRS.AND, OF URSE, AS HISTORIAN DAVID CARTER TAILS HIS EXCELLENT STONEWALL: THE RTS THAT SPARKED THE GAY REVOLUTN, THE MOBSTERS WERE TERRIBLE BAR OWNERS WHO RED ONLY ABOUT MAXIMIZG PROFS. THE STONEWALL HAD NO FIRE EX. THERE WAS NO NNG WATER BEHD THE BAR. GLASS WERE NOT WASHED, BUT ONLY RSED SKS OF WATER THAT GREW CREASGLY FILTHY AS A NIGHT WORE ON. THE TOILETS ROUTELY OVERFLOWED. THE LACK OF HYGIENE WAS BLAMED FOR AN OUTBREAK OF HEPATIS AMONG THE BAR’S PATRONS.  THE STONEWALL HAD NO LIQUOR LICENSE. INSTEAD, FUNCTNED AS A “BOTTLE CLUB,” AND PATRONS WERE CHARGED A FEE JT TO WALK THE DOOR. THE MOB PROVID STOLEN LIQUOR THAT WAS THEN WATERED DOWN, AND THE DRKS WERE NOTORLY AWFUL AND OVERPRICED. THE CIGARETTE MACH AND JEBOX SI THE BAR WERE ALSO MOB-NTROLLED.  “'SO YOU HAVE A VULNERABLE, ILLEGAL DTRY THE BACKYARD OF THE MAFIA. OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO EXPLO THAT.'”— ALEX HORTIS “OVER A WEEKEND, THERE WAS A LOT OF SMOKG AND DRKG,” HORTIS SAYS, “SO YOU’RE TALKG ABOUT VERY HIGH PROF MARGS.” ACRDG TO THE CELEBRATED LGBT HISTORIAN MART DUBERMAN, THE OWNERS OF THE STONEWALL PAID A MERE $300 MONTHLY RENT AND ULD PULL AS MUCH AS $11,000 SH DURG A BY WEEKEND. AND THE MOB RRIED OUT ANOTHER ILLEGAL BS WH THE STONEWALL: DG ALG.  THEN THERE WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR BLACKMAIL. NEW YORK CY SCHOOL TEACHERS, FOR EXAMPLE, WOULD LOSE THEIR JOBS IF THEY WERE ARRTED A POLICE RAID ON A GAY BAR OR WERE OTHERWISE PUBLICLY OUTED.FERAL EMPLOYE ALSO WERE VULNERABLE, AS WERE CLOSETED CELEBRI AND WEALTHY WALL STREET TYP.  IN RETROSPECT, WAS EVABLE THAT THE GENOVE CRIME FAY WOULD N THE VILLAGE’S GAY BARS BEE THE VILLAGE WAS THE GENOV’ HOME TURF.“THAT WAS THEIR BACKYARD,” HORTIS EXPLAS. “SO YOU HAVE A VULNERABLE, ILLEGAL DTRY THE BACKYARD OF THE MAFIA. OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO EXPLO THAT—OF URSE THEY’RE GOG TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND TRY TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF .”THE GENOVE FAY WAS THE GAY BAR BS LONG BEFORE THE STONEWALL. IN FACT, VO GENOVE’S SEND WIFE, ANNA, WAS A PARTNER SEVERAL LEGENDARY LOWER MANHATTAN DRAG BARS OF THE ’30S, CLUDG THE HOWDY CLUB, THE 181 CLUB, AND CLUB 84, WHOSE PATRONS CLUD GRETA GARBO AND JUDY GARLAND. ANNA’S PARTNER WAS STEVEN FRANSE, ONE OF THE ONLY MOBSTERS THE PARANOID VO GENOVE TSTED. AND THERE LI A RELATED SORDID TALE.WHEN GENOVE FLED TO ITALY 1937 TO AVOID PROSECUTN ON A MURR CHARGE, HE TOLD FRANSE TO LOOK AFTER HIS BS TERTS AND KEEP AN EYE ON ANNA. BUT, AS HORTIS SAYS, “ANNA WAS HIGH MATENANCE, TO PUT BLUNTLY. SHE WAS A DIVA.”  DURG VO’S ABSENCE, ANNA, LONG MORED TO HAVE BEEN BISEXUAL, IS SAID TO HAVE BEDD MEN AND WOMEN ALIKE. ACRDG TO HORTIS, “THERE ARE DRAG QUEENS OM THAT ERA WHO SAY THEY SAW HER PICKG UP SOME OF THE ENTERTAERS.” IN 1952, WHEN ANNA FILED FOR DIVORCE OM GENOVE, SHE REVEALED THAT HIS E OM THE ITALIAN LOTTERY ALONE WAS AS MUCH AS $30,000 A WEEK. THE OTHERWISE VIC GENOVE REPORTEDLY DIDN’T HAVE THE HEART TO HAVE ANNA MURRED, SO HE DID THE NEXT BT THG: HE ORRED THE 1953 MURR OF FRANSE FOR HIS SUPPOSED FAILURE TO KEEP ANNA UNR NTROL. AS PER VO’S ORRS, WAS A PARTICULARLY VIC BOUT: FRANSE WAS FIRST BEATEN AND THEN STRANGLED WH A CHA. THE GOME TAILS N BE FOUND THAT CLASSIC MOB TELL-ALL THE VALACHI PAPERS.THE MAFIA’S GRIP ON VILLAGE GAY BARS DID NOT END THERE.  AND NTUED EVEN AFTER THE MOB CLOSED THE STONEWALL, SHORTLY AFTER THE RTS.  FOR ONE THG, THE UPRISG BROUGHT PUBLICY, WHICH IS ALWAYS BAD NEWS FOR THE MOB.  (LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO JOHN GOTTI AFTER HE BEME FAMO.) “EVERYONE NOW KNEW THE STONEWALL WAS A MOB BAR,” DAVID CARTER EXPLAS. “THE STONEWALL WAS NOW AAID TO SERVE LIQUOR WHOUT A LICENSE. THEY TRIED TO MAKE AS A JUICE BAR, BUT CLOSED THREE MONTHS LATER.”SOON CRAIG RODWELL—A RELATIVELY UNSUNG HERO OF THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT WHO IS CREDED WH BEG THE FIRST PERSON TO PROPOSE THE GAY PRI PARA—BEGAN URGG A BOYTT OF MOB-OWNED BARS.  “HE WAS THE MA PROPAGANDIST OF THE UPRISG,” SAYS CARTER. “I N’T THK OF ANYONE WHO IS MORE CENTRAL TO THE HISTORY THAN CRAIG.” EVENTUALLY, GAY-OWNED GAY BARS OPENED AND RAN THEIR TABLISHMENTS, OFFERG AN ALTERNATIVE TO MAFIA-NTROLLED BARS. BUT THE MOB DIDN’T SIMPLY TURN AND N, SAYS THOR LUCIAN K. TSTT IV, WHO VERED THE STONEWALL RTS FOR THE VILLAGE VOICE.“DON’T MAKE THE MISTAKE OF THKG THAT THERE WAS A DAY THAT THE MOB LOOKED AT STONEWALL AND CID, ‘LET’S GET OUT OF THIS BS,’” TSTT SAYS. “THEY WOULDN’T GET OUT OF A BS WHERE THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNY TO GOUGE PEOPLE AND MAKE AN UNREASONABLE PROF.”INSTEAD, THE MOB MCLED ON GAY BARS THE SAME WAY THEY TOOK OVER STRAIGHT BARS: BY GIVG UR LOANS TO BAR OWNERS WH TAX OR OTHER FANCIAL PROBLEMS OR SIMPLY G THE THREAT OF VLENCE TO GET A PIECE OF THE ACTN. OFTEN, TSTT SAYS, THEY WOULD TURN STRAIGHT BARS TO GAY BARS BEE THE PROF MARGS WERE HIGHER.AND THE MAFIA NTUED TO TER TO—OR EXPLO—THE LGBT MUNY OTHER WAYS, ACRDG TO ALEX HORTIS. ADAPTG TO A CHANGG ENVIRONMENT, THE MAFIA MOVED TO BATH HO, LEATHER BARS, AND GAY PORNOGRAPHY. HORTIS, WHOSE MOB AND THE CY DO A BRILLIANT JOB OF BUNKG MANY OF THE MYTHS ABOUT THE MAFIA, ARGU THAT THE NNECTN BETWEEN THE MOB AND GAY LIFE SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISG.   “WHEN PEOPLE ASSUME THAT THE MAFIA IS PARTICULARLY HOMOPHOBIC, THEY’RE LOOKG BACKWARDS THROUGH THE LENS OF THE CLOSET,” HE SAYS. “THEY’RE LOOKG AT HOW THE MAFIA WAS THE ’80S AND ’90S—AND THE FICTNAL PORTRAYALS OF THEM—AND MORE BROADLY ITALIAN-AMERIN CULTURE. BUT WHAT THEY’RE FETTG IS THAT EARLIER ON, WAS VERY DIFFERENT. SAME-SEX ACTIVY WAS UNUALLY HIGH AMONG ITALIAN IMMIGRANTS BEE WASN’T NSIRED GAY OR HOMOSEXUAL, WAS JT SEXUAL RELEASE.” AND AS HORTIS POTS OUT THE MOB AND THE CY, MOBSTER “CRAZY” JOEY GALLO “TALKED ABOUT HOW ‘NORMAL, NATURAL, AND UNREMARKABLE’ HOMOSEXUALY WAS PRISON.”SO WHAT LSONS N BE DRAWN OM THE NNECTN BETWEEN THE MAFIA AND THE GAY MUNY?"WHEN THE STATE FORCED GAY AND TRANSGENR PEOPLE TO THE CLOSET,” HORTIS SAYS, “THEY WERE DRIVEN TO THE CLUTCH OF ANIZED CRIME. LGBT PEOPLE WERE FIGHTG NOT ONLY THE STATE, BUT EXPLOATN BY THE MAFIA. THE LSON IS THAT THERE WILL ALWAYS BE GAY PEOPLE EVERY SOCIETY. WHEN THE STATE TRI TO SUPPRS THEM, THEY WON'T JT DISAPPEAR; THE HARMS TO THEM WILL ONLY BE POUND." RONALD K. FRIED

“Fat Tony, ” for one, paid New York’s 6th Precct approximately $1, 200 a week, exchange for the police agreeg to turn a bld eye to the “cent nduct” occurrg behd closed Photo<em>An NYPD officer grabs someone by their hair as another officer clubs a young man durg a nontatn Greenwich Village after a Gay Power march New York, 1970.

David Carter explas his book Stonewall: The Rts That Sparked the Gay Revolutn, that durg a typil raid, bar owners would change the lights om blue to whe, warng ctomers to stop dancg and drkg. Sometim the ps even went to the extreme measure of sendg female officers to the bathroom to verify people’s get around laws that prohibed servg alhol to LGBT patrons, many gay bars—cludg the Stonewall—operated ostensibly as “bottle bars, ” private clubs where members would brg their own alhol.

His book, The Mafia and the Gays, the mob also plied the gay flh tra, wh bouncers “pimpg out” patrons. Apparently, too many high-powered dividuals—cludg Mafia members, police officers and big Hollywood nam—were implited as Stonewall Inn is a bar loted New York Cy’s Greenwich Village that served as a haven the 1960s for the cy’s gay, lbian and transgenr muny. At the time, homosexual acts remaed illegal every state except Illois, and bars and rtrants uld get shut down for havg gay employe or servg gay patrons.

WHEN GAY BARS WERE OWNED BY THE MAFIA

Most gay bars and clubs New York at the time were operated by the Mafia, who paid rptible police officers to look the other way and blackmailed wealthy gay patrons by threateng to “out” them.

Here, protters monstrate outsi the New York gay bar, Christopher's the early hours of June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn was raid by police wh no warng. Sylvia Rivera was a Lata-Amerin drag queen who beme one of the most radil gay and transgenr activists of the 1960s and '70s. As -founr of the Gay Liberatn Front, Rivera was known for participatg the Stonewall Rts and tablishg the polil anizatn STAR (Street Transvte Actn Revolutnari).

After the Stonewall Rts, a msage was pated on the outsi of the board-up bar readg, "We homosexuals plead wh out people to please help mata peaceful and quiet nduct on the streets of the village. " This sign was wrten by the Mattache Society–an early anizatn dited to fightg for gay reportg the events, The New York Daily News rorted to homophobic slurs s tailed verage, nng the headle: “Homo Nt Raid, Queen Be Are Stgg Mad. More and more supporters gathered outsi the bar, chantg slogans like “gay power” and “we shall overe.

HOW NYC’S GAY BARS THRIVED BEE OF THE MOB

”Over the next several nights, gay activists ntued to gather near the Stonewall, takg advantage of the moment to spread rmatn and build the muny that would fuel the growth of the gay rights movement.

They are pictured here marchg Tim Square,, Sylvia Ray Rivera (ont) and Arthur Bell are seen at a gay liberatn monstratn, New York Universy, 1970 Marsha P. Johnson is seen at a Gay Liberatn Front monstratn at Cy Hall New York, a large crowd memorat the 2nd anniversary of the Stonewall rts Greenwich Village of New York Cy 1971. 1 / 14: RxSome scholars have argued the famo Stonewall rts that sparked the natnwi LGBT movement were as much a ristance agast the mob’s exploatn of the gay muny as they were a stggle agast police harassment and discrimatory laws.

Ined, a handwrten msage chalk on a board-up wdow of the Stonewall Inn after the 1969 rts read, “Gay Prohibn Copt$ Cop$ Feed$ Mafia. ” Two of the ma gay-rights anizatns that me out of the rts, the Gay Activists Alliance and Gay Liberatn Front, actively champned gettg anized crime out of gay Mafia’s stranglehold on New York Cy’s nightlife bs took a huge h wh a seri of high-profile prosecutns the 1980s.

TAG: GAY BARS

In the 1960s, the Mafia (and specifilly the Genove mob fay) was behd pretty much every bar Manhattan that urted a gay clientele.

“The repeal of Prohibn may have rtored Amerins’ right to drk alhol, but municipali and stat found var ways to curtail gay people’s abily to drk together public.

DID THE MAFIA NTROL WISNS'S EARLIT GAY BARS?

In San Francis, Sal Stoueman’s Black Cat Cafe (ma particularly famo by Jack Kerouac and Allen Gsberg) hand out “I’m A Boy” nametags to patrons, so unrver ps uld not arrt s drag performers, “gay screamg queens” (TM Gsberg), or even “gray flannel su typ” for female impersonatn wh tent to d or ceive someone to sex.

THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE MOB

Out California, a group of San Francis gay bar owners had band together to go public about the massive brib they were payg police orr to rema open, the effect beg, they exposed signifint police rptn. This rulted the effective closure of SF’s 50 or so gay bars–but had ramifitns across the untry, too. “The good half of the story, om there, is that the 1960-61 bar closur marked some of the most important pre-Stonewall gay rights protts and publicly broadst activism.

The Black Cat’s famo drag-performg sger, Jose Sarria, was the first openly gay ndidate for public office the US (SF cy supervisor). Several bar owners’ groups (the Tavern Guild particular) formed to lobby specifilly for the rights of owners to urt a gay clientele; even The Advote started publitn rponse.

In New York, a massive group of gay men staged a public prott of, sentially, “beg gay public” midtown until ps and policians basilly allowed bars to operate for a perd of time so they would go be queer out of sight. In the 1960s particular, therefore, the Mafia pretty much ma New York’s gay bar scene a treasured racket.

THE WORLD'S BT GAY TRAVEL GUI

In fact, gay bars were raid as often as ever; jt, protectn fe like the $1200 Stonewall paid monthly meant the bars would be allowed to reopen afterwards. “Word of mouth that Stonewall (Cherry Lane Theater, Fifth Avenue Bar, etc) were ‘perdilly safe’ plac for gay people to drk and be gay public was ccial for the Mafia to keep their gay bars profable, particularly a plete dive like Stonewall for which the space was really the only attractn.

The gay muny had s own formal means of munitn, like the Mattache Society’s Gay Scene Gui that rmed rears the Stonewall Inn was one of a very few (maybe the only?