David Mancuso

David Mancuso
Born(1944-10-20)October 20, 1944
Utica, New York
DiedNovember 14, 2016(2016-11-14) (aged 72)
New York, New York

David Paul Mancuso (October 20, 1944 – November 14, 2016) was an American disc jockey who created the popular "by invitation only" parties in New York City, which later became known as "The Loft".[1][2][3] The first party, called "Love Saves The Day", was in 1970.

Mancuso pioneered the private party, as distinct from the more commercial nightclub business model. In the early 1970s, Mancuso won a long administrative trial when the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs found that he was not selling food or beverages to the public and therefore did not need a New York City cabaret license.

Mancuso's success at keeping his parties "underground" and legal inspired others, and many famous private discothèques of the 1970s and 1980s were modeled after The Loft, including the Paradise Garage, The Gallery, 12 West, The Flamingo and later The Saint. Mancuso also helped start the record pool system for facilitating the distribution of promotional records to the qualified disc jockey.

  1. ^ "The New York Times". Movies & TV Dept. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2013-08-02. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  2. ^ "Gregwilson.co.uk". Gregwilson.co.uk. 2013-05-31. Retrieved 2020-04-05.
  3. ^ "MTV". MTV. 2018-02-28. Archived from the original on June 25, 2016. Retrieved 2020-04-05.