Peter Gatien
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| Peter Gatien | |
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| Born | August 8, 1952  Cornwall, Ontario, Canada |
| Spouse(s) | Alessandra Gatien |
Peter Gatien (born August 8, 1952, in Cornwall, Ontario) was the owner of several New York nightclubs, including the The Limelight, Palladium, Club USA, and Tunnel. He currently owns and operates the Toronto nightclub, CiRCA.
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[edit] Early life
Gatien was born in Cornwall, Ontario, the third of five brothers.[1]
Gatien's first business venture was a jeans store in his home town, which he opened with a $13,000 settlement. After that, he turned a former country western bar into a rock club called Aardvark, and booked the band Rush to perform.[2] In 1976, he read about a bankrupt nightclub in Florida; the space became the first incarnation of the Limelight. Limelight Atlanta followed. The longest period of time in which The Limelight remained closed was from 1996 to 1998. It reopened from 1998 onward until Gatien sold it in 2001 to a real estate developer.
[edit] Legal troubles
Gatien was arrested on federal drug charges in 1996 after a series of club raids; he was acquitted of the charges. He pled guilty to tax evasion in 1999, for which he was sentenced to a fine of $1.9 million, and a 60-day prison sentence. In 2003, he was deported to his native Canada, due to the Department of Homeland Security immigration laws which order the removal of any alien (non-citizen) convicted of a felony.[3]
[edit] Film work
Gatien produced the 1993 film A Bronx Tale, which starred Robert De Niro.[4] Initially, Gatien produced it as a one-man play starring Chazz Palminteri.[5]
[edit] Other media appearances
Gatien and the histories of his clubs were discussed at length in the book The Last Party: Studio 54, Disco, and the Culture of the Night, by Anthony Hayden-Guest. Guest's book chronicles the history of New York nightlife and all the significant people and events that impacted its evolution from Studio 54 through to the days of Limelight, Tunnel and Palladium.
Gatien was also a prominent character in some books which were written about scandals involving former Limelight employee Michael Alig, including Disco Bloodbath by James St. James, and Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture, by Frank Owen.
The book Disco Bloodbath was later made into the movie Party Monster starring Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green. The character of Peter Gatien was played by Dylan McDermott. In 2007 Peter Gatien was immortalized as a Dunny.[citation needed]
Peter Gatien is mentioned in the song "Fun Lovin' Criminals" by The Fun Lovin' Criminals. They reference him by singing; "I am always optimistic about human relations, I got more friends than my man Peter Gatien". He is also mentioned in the song "Foundation" by Jay-Z, who raps, "Me and my operation, running New York nightscene, with one eye closed, like Peter Gatien".
Female clothing brand Married to the Mob has a t-shirt which reads "New York needs Peter Gatien".
[edit] Personal life and current activities
Gatien currently lives in Toronto, where he has opened a 55,000 square foot entertainment venue, CiRCA.[6] He is married to Alessandra Gatien. His daughter Hunter still resides in the United States. His daughter Amanda and son Xander reside in Toronto.
