As best I can remember it was the summer of 1979 that I worked at The Monster in Cherry Grove on Fire Island. I was a waiter. Warren Gluck was the DJ and would let me work the dance floor lights. Sherwood ("I'm Sherwood and I sure-would!") tended bar. My best friend at the time, my first friend in New York City, Michael Stulberg, took me out there and showed me the ropes. We worked together at The Copacabana. When it burned (mysteriously, of course) I got the job at The Monster. Michael went to The Pines and worked at The Pavillion. Calvin Klein's houseboy was a childhood friend, so we spent time in his Pines beachfront home; never got around to a dip in his black swimming pool that was lit at night with red lights.
The summer before we had been to the closing party of The Sandpiper, the small restaurant/disco on the bay in The Pines. We had many great times there, so mourned its passing. But when the Pavillion opened The Sandpiper was quickly forgotten. It seemed to me that The Pavillion would change forever the dynamic between The Pines and The Grove. Prior to The Pavillion the biggest dance venue on the island was The Ice Palace in Cherry Grove. On Saturday night everyone came. I remember Cher hanging out on the deck as the sun came up after a long night of dancing. Now The Pavillion was the venue and there was little reason for Pines people to come visit the funkier Grove.
From the summer of '77 through the summer of '82 I had the time of my life on Fire Island. There was no paradise more beautiful. But when we left on the ferry that last summer (I no longer went out there to work, but I helped Michael move in and out), somehow I knew that time was over. In December Michael died of the newly named AIDS. Nearly everyone I knew then would contract the disease. Fire Island wasn't fun anymore. Provincetown became my summer resort destination of choice.
Last month my boss, the legendary owner of The Monster, Joe Scialo died. Sam, a friend from then who shares the memories, sent me an email telling me last night. Thanks Sam.
