Peter Gatien

Peter Gatien (born August 8, 1952, in Cornwall, Ontario) was the owner of several of New York nightclubs, including the The Limelight, Palladium (club), Club USA, and Tunnel (New York nightclub).

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 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] During this time he lived in a large spacious Tudor house at 320 Second Street in the center core of Cornwall. 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.

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 a law that orders deportion for any noncitizen convicted of a felony. [3]

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]

Personal Life and Current Activities

Gatien currently lives in Toronto, where he is opening a 55,000 square foot entertainment venue, CiRCA. [6]

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. Guests' 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 & Palladium.

Gatien was also a prominent character in some books which were written about scandals involving former Limelight employee Michael Alig, including "Party Monster" by James St. James, and "Clubland: The Fabulous Rise and Murderous Fall of Club Culture" by Frank Owen.

The book "Party Monster" was later made into a movie starring Macaulay Culkin and Seth Green. The character of Peter Gatien was played by Dylan McDermott.