Fly Life
by Tricia Romano

Let's Get This Party Started Right

In order to open up a nightclub in New York City, you'd better be an angel or a saint. At least, that's the impression I got watching the two-hour song and dance given by Crobar representatives to Community Board 4 last Wednesday night. Club owners Callin Fortis and Ken Barilich did everything to prove that they are model citizens, not like those other club owners (Sleazy, Shady, and Skanky). Fortis and Barilich brought in an army of people to testify before the board—including former Miami Beach mayor Neisen Kasdin, ex-special narcotics prosecutor for New York City Robert Silbering, and, believe it or not, a Tibetan monk, the Venerable Nicholas Vreeland, a liaison for the Tibet Center on 32nd Street, who gamely offered, "I guess I'm here to represent the spiritual side of Crobar." The only people not present to vouch for Cal and Ken: their mothers.

It worked. The board approved 38-8 to open a club on 530 West 28th Street, across the way from the ill-fated Twilo and Tunnel. The space—at 40,000 square feet—is gargantuan, and has been eyed over the years by many club owners, including Peter Gatien, whose name was invoked repeatedly at the meeting, since a Page Six item had linked him to the Crobar peeps. Of course, Fortis and Barilich did everything to distance themselves from the fallen club king. At one point, a community board member read parts from a letter written by Space owner Luis Puig—a competitor of Crobar in South Beach—implying Crobar was in cahoots with Gatien. Apparently, Puig had also set his sights on the West 28th Street spot, but after turning down an offer from Gatien, claimed that Gatien told him he'd "never have that building." Puig suggested Crobar and Gatien had set up a similar partnership deal.

Fortis denied an association, stating that the charges were "put out there intentionally to hurt us," and told the board, "Luis Puig and Peter Gatien would have made terrific partners." Ouch.

If Fortis and Barilich are in a deal with Gatien, they are doing a fine job of pissing on his already tarnished image. Next step for the dapper, tall-and-tanned Adonis Crobar boys—a week's vaca, and hopefully approval from state and city agencies for a real superclub.


Vinyl is getting a phazon and a complete facelift
Crobar will hopefully open in 6 months. It's time to take it to the next once again!




JUST PASSIN THE NEWS ALONG