How the Mob Helped Establish NYC’s Gay Bar Scene | HISTORY

Contents:

• MAFIA BOSS BBED OUT 'FOR BEG GAY'
• THE RISE OF THE GAY MAFIA, A POWERFUL CABAL THAT NEVER EXISTED
• MOB H MAN OUT OF THE CLOSET: ROBERT MORMANDO IS GAY AND REGRETS LIFE OF CRIME, HIS LAWYER SAYS
• A TE TOUGH GUY: THE MAFIA, GAYS, AND MICHAEL SAM’S BOYIEND
• MAFIA ALLOWS GAY MEN TO JO AFTER EMERG MOB CHIEF'S SON IS LIVG AS DRAG QUEEN
• THE VELVET MAFIA: THE GAY MEN WHO HELPED SHAPE MIC THE 60S
• GAY MAFIA HMAN MURRED BY OWN BEE CRIME FAY ‘DISGRACED’ BY HIS SEXUALY
• HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE
• KATHY GRIFF: "THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL. I’M A PRODUCT OF IT"THE EDIAN IS GETTG NDID ABOUT HER GROUP OF GAY IENDS. {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}CELEBRIBY ADAM SALANDRAAPRIL 10, 2017/4:02 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}RICK KERN/WIREIMAGEBY ADAM SALANDRAAPRIL 10, 2017 / 4:02 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"KATHY GRIFF: \"THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL. I’M A PRODUCT OF IT\"","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2017-04-10T20:02:56.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2017-04-10T20:02:56.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"ADAM SALANDRA","ARTICLESECTN":"CELEBRI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KATHY GRIFF HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN OUTSPOKEN ALLY OF THE LGBT MUNY AND SHE'S NOW G THE SKILLS SHE'S VELOPED THE FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS TO CHAMPN FOR EQUALY ON A LARGER SLE UNR THE TMP {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE EDIAN SPOKE TO PRI SOURCE ABOUT HOW HER MSAGE HAS CHANGED SCE LAST YEAR'S ELECTN, AND EMPHASIZED THAT WHEN TO MANDG EQUAL RIGHTS, WE'RE ALL THIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE LGBT MUNY KEEP STANDG STRONG," SHE SAID. "AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT OF IS, 'WELL, YOU GUYS ARE SGLE-AGENDA.' NO, WE'RE EQUALY. EQUALY IS FOR ALL."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT SPE HER ACTIVISM, GRIFF STILL FDS TIME TO UNWD. AND WHEN THE SUBJECT OF LOGO'S NEW REALY SHOW FIRE ISLAND UP, THE EDIAN MAK CLEAR WHOM SHE'LL BE WATCHG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"FIRST OF ALL, THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL. I'M A PRODUCT OF AND EXISTS," SHE TOLD PRI SOURCE. "SO, ACTUALLY, ON THE TWTER, I JT GOT A TWEET OM JAI RODRIGUEZ, THE ORIGAL QUEER EYE, SAYG 'OVERDUE FOR A KATHY GRIFF MAFIA NIGHT AT HER HOE.'"{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"SO 'LL BE JAI RODRIGUEZ, CHRIS COLFER OM GLEE, LANCE BASS AND THEIR PL-ON," SHE ADD. "THEY'LL ALL E OVER TO MY NEW HOE AND WE'LL S MY FABULO SCREENG ROOM. AND THEN WE'LL WATCH FD. BUT THAT'S JT A TYPIL NIGHT FOR ME."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS
• ADAM CAROLLA: THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL
• BEWARE THE GAY MAFIA
• THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE MOB

MAFIA BOSS BBED OUT 'FOR BEG GAY'

The boss of the mafia fay on which the Sopranos seri is believed to be based was executed by one of his own soldiers bee he was gay and they feared that if news got out the fay would be ridiculed by the rt of the unrworld, a Manhattan urt has been told.

THE RISE OF THE GAY MAFIA, A POWERFUL CABAL THAT NEVER EXISTED

"Nobody's gonna rpect if we have a gay homosexual boss stg down discsg La Cosa Nostra bs, " an rmer told the urt on "Johnny Boy" D'Amato, head of the DeCavalnte fay, the biggt the state of New Jersey, was shot ad 1992 after was moured that he was havg relatnships wh other a DeCavalnte soldier, Anthony Capo, heard the tale om D'Amato's girliend he was credibly angry. More than half of the leadg power brokers Hollywood are Jewish, and about a third of the powerful are homosexual, cludg David Geffen, Ray Stark, Calv Kle, Aaron Spellg, Steve Tisch, Barry Diller and agent Sandy Gall.

MOB H MAN OUT OF THE CLOSET: ROBERT MORMANDO IS GAY AND REGRETS LIFE OF CRIME, HIS LAWYER SAYS

From Taki's lumn the 3/7/00 I’m not at all surprised to read that Hollywood is domated by a Velvet Mafia of rich homosexuals who mand sexual favors return for work the movi. (Geffen, as mor has , is supposed to have been thrilled that the movie a homophobe father beats up his son when he spects him to have had a gay affair wh Kev Spacey’s character, and even more thrilled when is later revealed that the homophobe was actually a reprsed gay. Here is one of Bill Clton’s close supporters, one who had a ee n of the Lln bedroom, and was, I believe, once even lled an adviser to the Draft Dodger, phg a gay agenda of promotg stars and directors who make movi and rerds sympathetic to the gay liftyle.

A TE TOUGH GUY: THE MAFIA, GAYS, AND MICHAEL SAM’S BOYIEND

As Pl Craig Roberts (the bt lumnist by far) poted out the John Rocker se, "Bud Selig thks that kids wh purple hair, repeat felons, welfare moms and homosexuals wh AIDS are ‘ethnici. But Buzz, a lively monthly out of Los Angel - 's sort of like Toronto Life but more fun - says s ver story that a lot of people who ph the squeaky-clean, mom-dad-two-kids-pl-dog, relentlsly upbeat Disney image are more than jt cheerful, gang: they're gladly, joyoly gay.

Everyone knows Hollywood is a ''boy's club, '' meang straight men n , but even if the straight boys don't accept someone, there are plenty of gays and lbians to bond wh, and there has even arisen, the media, a phrase, ''the gay Mafia. AT THE start of the film Amerin Bety, Kev Spacey's character, Lter Burnham, says: 'In a year, I will be ad' - and by the movie's end, he is, killed by his reprsed homosexual next- door neighbour.

Everyone the film is explosively dysfunctnal, except for the Burnhams' other set of neighbours, an affluent gay uple who float through the mayhem wh disarmg sereny.

MAFIA ALLOWS GAY MEN TO JO AFTER EMERG MOB CHIEF'S SON IS LIVG AS DRAG QUEEN

Its sweep of the Amy Awards' top tegori thrilled Hollywood's gay muny, who have been tryg to prove for a long time that heterosexualy is a sad form of sexual dysfunctn. This held that heterosexualy was a curse to be nigrated and mocked wherever possible, and that gays uld never w the power they craved society whout unrmg heterosexuals whenever possible. On the posive ont, the radil gays argued that homosexuals should be entled to get married the same way as heterosexual upl, and that schools should teach about gay sex as if were no more normal or abnormal than male-female terurse.

Amics began wrg papers argug for gay parentg, g statistics to suggt that children of gay upl had no more emotnal problems that the average child of a 'straight' fay. The pot of this exercise was to monise normal heterosexual behavur, and to make the ordary ruals of attractn and relatnships seem aberrant, so that gays uld advance their own e by claimg 'straights' led liv that were much worse than theirs. Ball says he did not even know he was homosexual until he went to universy, but claims to have suffered enough persecutn at the hands of heterosexualy to believe is herently evil.

THE VELVET MAFIA: THE GAY MEN WHO HELPED SHAPE MIC THE 60S

In 20 years of filmmakg, Geffen has bee famo for makg or breakg reers based on whether the people volved are gay and willg to be part of his extremely active sex life. If you're wonrg why homosexuals have skyrocketed recent years to jo blacks and femists at the top of liberalism's hallowed list of "mory groups" entled to special rights and privileg, look no further than Hollywood --- Tseltown is ntrolled the days by the "Gay Mafia.

Beyond the three "dons" of the Gay Mafia, there are of urse many film executiv, agents, and actors --- and the mafia acts ncert to protect each other and their imag. Geffen ma sure the movie "Interview Wh a Vampire, " directed by the homosexual Neil Jordan (who also directed the perverted movie "The Cryg Game") had s homoerotic unrton removed.

The csant need to not only advance their fellow homosexuals but to zealoly protect each other om public scty is bee the "need to mata Ameri's wholome image of them is somethg that nnects Hollywood gays at all levels --- whether one is a stgglg (or a mega- star) actor, wrer, agent, or producer, " Ebner wr. Homosexual ants mand that their "liftyle" be treated as equal to the tradnal fay, yet most still scpuloly hi their inty, preferrg to do their subversive unrmg of Amerin culture as "closeted" revolutnari. But there was a time Amerin history when there was a real fear that a gay mafia—known llectively as “homterns”—existed, wieldg ntrol across Hollywood and throughout the arts and entertament dtri.

GAY MAFIA HMAN MURRED BY OWN BEE CRIME FAY ‘DISGRACED’ BY HIS SEXUALY

In his new book Homtern: How Gay Culture Liberated the Morn World, English amic Gregory Woods chronicl the rise of the “homtern, ” explorg how the longstandg fear of homosexual men spurred a century-long paranoia about an alleged gay mafia ntrollg areas of ernment, the arts and amia. In the mid-19th century the pair rrpond about the threat of “perasts”—an antiquated term referrg to men who had sex wh younger men, sce “homosexual” did not yet exist as a label—to their goal of tablishg non-sexual raship between other men. ” This sire to study and fe sexual behavr further phed rearchers to “un-closet” the homosexual, all an effort to mystify a sexual inty that had long been ostracized and stigmatized but never really pned down through scientific quiry.

Des later, “homtern” entered Cold War disurse, beg reappropriated by nspiracy theorists that exploed s munist associatn and claimed referred to a longstandg “ternatnal homosexual nspiracy” across the untry, whose one goal was to perate posns the Amerin ernment and urp tradnal Amerin valu of fay and heterosexualy.

Wh Amerins fearful of the tonatn of an atomic bomb and a enzy about polics beg overtaken by munist fectors, the elive figure of the homosexual—known but never seen public; closeted but apparently everywhere—was ripe to explo to spire fear. Woods says that the anxieti around homosexuals Cold War Ameri take some of their orig the social “cleansg” mpaigns enacted Nazi Germany and Soviet Rsia, mpaigns lnched to eradite homosexual men (and other “unwanted” dividuals) om society. ” The report claimed the “filtratn” of homosexuals to Amerin polil life meant that homosexuals would “envabl[y] … attempt to place other homosexuals Government jobs.

HOW THE MOB HELPED ESTABLISH NYC’S GAY BAR SCENE

The backlash agast homosexuals was only pound by the growg visibily of gay men public life, pecially the arts and entertament dtri, which only pound the ia of an unrground nspiracy of a “gay mafia. ” In 1966, one New York Tim cric mentned the wispread perceptn that bee the men were homosexuals their plays “prent[ed] a badly distorted picture of Amerin women, marriage and society.

Although the men were not “out, ” mors of their sexualy circulated wily Hollywood and galvanized an image of Hollywood beg overn by gay men, many who allegedly wield power and tonomy. Unlike lbians, gay men were seen as the more subversive threat bee they had most public profil as well as more likely to occupy posns of power the entertament dtri. All the same, the homtern’s awakeng of fear public life 1950s Ameri monstrat an important narrative, remdg there was a time when the ia of a “gay mafia” lg Hollywood was a legimate ncern.

Members of the Mafia do not accept a gay liftyle wh s ranks although there is no specific le that ducte mt accept, like the prohibn om havg an affair wh another gangster's DeCavalnte crime boss John D'Amato was whacked 1992 for beg gay. The son looks equally proud to be wh his happit ncln you uld draw om this image is that Gerlarmo knew his son’s sexual orientatn and accepted as an tegral part of a magnificent young even if Gerlarmo was not yet aware that his son was gay, he is now.

KATHY GRIFF: "THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL. I’M A PRODUCT OF IT"THE EDIAN IS GETTG NDID ABOUT HER GROUP OF GAY IENDS. {FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}{FONT:NORMAL 800 1.2REM/1.2 "D BOLD",SANS-SERIF;TEXT-TRANSFORM:NORMAL;LOR:HER;DISPLAY:LE-BLOCK;PADDG-BOTTOM:6PX;POSN:RELATIVE;TEXT-TRANSFORM:UPPERSE;}{BACKGROUND:#89308A;BOTTOM:0;NTENT:'';DISPLAY:BLOCK;HEIGHT:2PX;LEFT:0;POSN:ABSOLUTE;RIGHT:0;-WEBK-TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;TRANSN:ALL 0.2S EASE;WIDTH:100%;}{LEFT:51%;RIGHT:51%;WIDTH:0;}CELEBRIBY ADAM SALANDRAAPRIL 10, 2017/4:02 {HEIGHT:HER;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;POSN:RELATIVE;-WEBK-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-MS-FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;FLEX-WRAP:WRAP;-WEBK-ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-ALIGN:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-ALIGN:CENTER;ALIGN-EMS:CENTER;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-WEBK-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;-MS-TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;TRANSFORM-ORIG:CENTER;} IMG{HEIGHT:100%;WIDTH:100%;OBJECT-F:VER;}{HEIGHT:574PX;WIDTH:1020PX;}RICK KERN/WIREIMAGEBY ADAM SALANDRAAPRIL 10, 2017 / 4:02 PM{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"NEWSARTICLE","HEADLE":"KATHY GRIFF: \"THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL. I’M A PRODUCT OF IT\"","THUMBNAILURL":","DATEPUBLISHED":"2017-04-10T20:02:56.000+0000","DATEMODIFIED":"2017-04-10T20:02:56.000+0000","IMAGE":{"@NTEXT":","@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT","URL":","WIDTH":1920,"HEIGHT":1080},"URL":","THOR":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","NAME":"LOGO TV"},"MAENTYOFPAGE":{"@TYPE":"WEBPAGE","@ID":"},"PUBLISHER":{"@TYPE":"ORGANIZATN","@ID":","NAME":"LOGO TV","URL":","LOGO":{"@TYPE":"IMAGEOBJECT"}},"CREATOR":"ADAM SALANDRA","ARTICLESECTN":"CELEBRI"}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}KATHY GRIFF HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN OUTSPOKEN ALLY OF THE LGBT MUNY AND SHE'S NOW G THE SKILLS SHE'S VELOPED THE FIGHT FOR GAY RIGHTS TO CHAMPN FOR EQUALY ON A LARGER SLE UNR THE TMP {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}THE EDIAN SPOKE TO PRI SOURCE ABOUT HOW HER MSAGE HAS CHANGED SCE LAST YEAR'S ELECTN, AND EMPHASIZED THAT WHEN TO MANDG EQUAL RIGHTS, WE'RE ALL THIS {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE LGBT MUNY KEEP STANDG STRONG," SHE SAID. "AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA HEAR A LOT OF IS, 'WELL, YOU GUYS ARE SGLE-AGENDA.' NO, WE'RE EQUALY. EQUALY IS FOR ALL."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-BOX;DISPLAY:-WEBK-FLEX;DISPLAY:-MS-FLEXBOX;DISPLAY:FLEX;-WEBK-BOX-PACK:CENTER;-WEBK-JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;-MS-FLEX-PACK:CENTER;JTIFY-NTENT:CENTER;} .TWTER-TWEET-RENRED, {M-WIDTH:65%;WIDTH:TO !IMPORTANT;} {WIDTH:100%;} {MARG-LEFT:TO !IMPORTANT;MARG-RIGHT:TO !IMPORTANT;} IMG{MAX-WIDTH:100%;WIDTH:100%;} > IAME{BORR:NONE;MAX-WIDTH:100%;} > *{MAX-WIDTH:NONE !IMPORTANT;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}BUT SPE HER ACTIVISM, GRIFF STILL FDS TIME TO UNWD. AND WHEN THE SUBJECT OF LOGO'S NEW REALY SHOW FIRE ISLAND UP, THE EDIAN MAK CLEAR WHOM SHE'LL BE WATCHG {BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"FIRST OF ALL, THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL. I'M A PRODUCT OF AND EXISTS," SHE TOLD PRI SOURCE. "SO, ACTUALLY, ON THE TWTER, I JT GOT A TWEET OM JAI RODRIGUEZ, THE ORIGAL QUEER EYE, SAYG 'OVERDUE FOR A KATHY GRIFF MAFIA NIGHT AT HER HOE.'"{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;PADDG:24PX 0;} A{LOR:#354A4E;-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;TEXT-RATN:UNRLE;} A:HOVER, A:FOC{-WEBK-TEXT-RATN:NONE;TEXT-RATN:NONE;} B, STRONG{FONT-WEIGHT:700;}"SO 'LL BE JAI RODRIGUEZ, CHRIS COLFER OM GLEE, LANCE BASS AND THEIR PL-ON," SHE ADD. "THEY'LL ALL E OVER TO MY NEW HOE AND WE'LL S MY FABULO SCREENG ROOM. AND THEN WE'LL WATCH FD. BUT THAT'S JT A TYPIL NIGHT FOR ME."{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;CLEAR:BOTH;}{BOX-SIZG:BORR-BOX;MARG:0 TO;WIDTH:90%;M-WIDTH:288PX;MAX-WIDTH:1440PX;M-HEIGHT:194PX;}LATT NEWS

Willie the Rat operated out of a bar he named the El Reno Tavern after his favore prison, but the Kansas Cy mob also ran most of the cy’s gay bars back the benighted time when beg gay was nsired a same was te of the mob New York and Chigo and a dozen other ci.

ADAM CAROLLA: THE GAY MAFIA IS REAL

The patrons repaid the mob by buyg cheap liquor at premium pric, along wh bootleg cigarett and sometim the 1970s, Willie the Rat sought to tablish some new gay bars, along wh strip clubs and peep shows, an area lled River Quay that a rival mob associate hoped to velop to a place of legimate rtrants and dispute was settled wh so many bombs and bullets that both plans were scuttled.

And stagg the raid, the ps seem to have been at least as tent on punishg the mob as they were on hasslg the gay mob self remaed rolutely ristant to the gay rights movement.

“Nobody’s gog to rpect if we have a gay homosexual boss stg down discsg La Cosa Nostra bs, ” the triggerman, Anthony Capo, later 2009, former Gambo fay hman Robert Mormando me out to a Brooklyn feral judge through his lawyer, makg clear the danger of beg gay the Mafia. Anti-mafia vtigator Nila Gratteri says Ndrangheta mafia is 'gog soft'It now allows gay men as emerg a mob chief's son is livg as drag queenGratteri claims gays 'n be accepted so long as they don't para public' He tercepted lls showg Italy's mafia members enjoy transvte bars Published: 01:52 BST, 9 December 2019 | Updated: 02:59 BST, 9 December 2019. Prevly even mours of beg gay were punishable by ath, but now the son of a mob chief is livg as a drag queen lled Lady vtigator Nila Gratteri said: ‘It unrm their image of themselv as tough, virile guys.

BEWARE THE GAY MAFIA

Throughout his reer Gratteri has tercepted lls revealg many members enjoy transvte bars and seen ‘passnate’ letters between a crime boss and a young litenant‘Gays n be accepted now, even as foot soldiers, so long as they don’t para public.

But the people who shaped and advised those artists – the on who managed the stars of the classic rock age – were, by an outsized marg, gay terwoven muny clud Brian Epste (who brought the world the Beatl), K Lambert (who -managed the Who), Simon Napier-Bell (the Yardbirds, and a young Marc Bolan), Robert Stigwood (Cream, the Bee Ge), Billy Gaff (Rod Stewart), Ken Pt (David Bowie), Barry Krost (Cat Stevens), as well as Tony Stratton-Smh (who formed the visnary label Charisma for bands like Genis).

A new book tled The Velvet Mafia: the Gay Men who Ran the Swgg Sixti aims to tell the Brish si of this story by focg on several key players the scene, cludg a few of the aforementned nam along wh the novative producer Joe Meek and the head of the UK’s most powerful label at the time, Sir Joseph Lockwood. ”There were, fact, a few powerful gay women the Brish rock scene at the time as well, cludg Vicki Wickham, who booked the acts on the semal TV show Ready Steady Go and who later managed Dty Sprgfield and LaBelle. ”In some ways, managers like Epste and other others uld sulate themselv om the everyday life of gay men at the time – throwg their own exclive parti and circulatg elevated circl where they uld do as they pleased.

THE GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND THE MOB

Ironilly, after the law agast homosexual acts changed Bra 1967 – crimalizg them certa circumstanc and for those of a certa age – the harassment of LGBTQ people actually tensified. “But post-67, and wh the formatn of the Gay Liberatn Front 1970 Bra and wh gay people beg more outspoken, the raids and the psdo-polil attacks started to happen more. When Gangano, who had himself mted multiple murrs, began livg wh a male partner, Mantella said the ‘Ndrangheta “uld not tolerate” the “disgrace” of a member beg openly gay.

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. 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. 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.