Friday, December 19, 2025
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Exclusive: Friars Club Shuts Down, Citing Huge Flood in Historic HQ, But Insolvency and Lawsuits Could Be Reasons

I didn’t think I’d have another Friars Club story so soon, but the end– for now — has come.

The Friars Club has suspended all operations because of a flood that has literally turned the East 55th St. clubhouse into the Titanic. The news came in an email from club president Michael Gyure, who himself has so far escaped jail time for tax fraud.

“The dining room is a wreck,” says a source. “The kitchen is under water.”

From what I can tell, the flood was caused by a pipe on the roof of the building bursting. Water cascaded downward until the once grand establishment looked like a scene from “The Poseidon Adventure.”

But members and employees are suspicious. Lately they say there have been “maybe three or four people” eating in the dining room at any one time.

The Friars have been up to their ears in legal bills and legal action recently, including a union lawsuit that could have shut them down anyway.  They also settled a sexual harassment lawsuit brought by their former long time receptionist against the club and celebrity wrangler Bruce Charet. (He used to call her up and say lascivious — er sexually inappropriate — things to her.)  Insurance took care of that. It’s unclear if it will pay for the flood damage.

 

Friars Club Gets First Mention Ever in Gangland News for Becoming Midtown Mob Clubhouse

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The Friars Club used to have the distinction of being an exclusive, fun place for famous comedians and actors like Frank Sinatra, Joan Rivers, Alan King, Freddie Roman, and Jerry Lewis.

In recent years, it’s become known for teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, a current president who was convicted for recent tax fraud, overall financial mismanagement, and the departure of just about any A, B, or C List celebrity.

But now the Friars has a new association: Mob hangout. Remember last year they honored a guy named Rinaldo Nistico, who goes by the name “Ronnie Shoes” or “Ronnie Copa.” Nistico was indicted and settled a case in 2004 for assault. The NY Post  reported then that Nistico had two prior arrests and convictions on weapons charges in 1990 and 1996.

Well, today Jerry Capeci’s website, Gangland News, has a neat headline:

“If It’s Thursday At The Friars Club, It Must Be Wiseguy Night”

Jerry writes:

The Ravenite and Triangle Social Clubs, like John Gotti and Vincent (Chin) Gigante, the infamous Mafia bosses who held court there during their heyday at the top of the mob heap are long gone.

But a select group of Gambino and Genovese crime family wiseguys — as well as a sprinkling of members and associates of other bourghatas — have found a new Manhattan gathering place, Gang Land has learned.

And it’s right smack in the middle of midtown Manhattan at one of the city’s most legendary watering holes.

Good work, Michael Gyure. You got out of going to jail, for this. Judge Naomi Buchwald must be so proud of her decision.

PS I was on East 55th St. the other day. The Friars Club building– a mock Tudor castle–  is just hanging on in a land of steel and glass skyscrapers. It would be a shame if this place were lost to insolvency and bulldozers. But at this rate, the clock is ticking.

Sting’s Big Night in Hollywood: “The Last Ship” Sets Sail in Triumphant Return, Rebuilt and Seaworthy

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There was always a problem with Sting’s Broadway musical, “The Last Ship.” Even though the music was par excellence, the songs beyond deliciously hummable, the story was always muddled. I’m thrilled to report that has changed, very much for the better. “The Last Ship” has been rebuilt and is eminently seaworthy. Last night’s premiere in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theater was a triumph on so many levels but the biggest was that we finally feel like the people of Wallsend, Newcastle, UK who build ships are getting their due.

A lot of big names turned out for the Ahmanson premiere including Sting— who’s on stage, his wife Trudie Styler, friends like Dustin and Lisa Hoffman, Pierce Brosnan and Keely Shaye Smith, Juliet Mills and Maxwell Caulfield, Live Nation’s eminent producer Arthur Fogel, producers Karl Sydow and Kathy Schenker, orchestrator Rob Mathes, and Courteney Cox, Melanie Griffith, and of course, Shaggy, Sting’s partner in all things reggae. Also singing the praises of the show: very famed songwriter Mike Stoller (Lieber & Stoller) and his singer-writer political activist wife Corky Hale, the great British writer Ian La Frenais, and Oscar winning (“Schindler’s List”) and nominated “Irishman” screenwriter Steve Zaillian. (Hmmm. Could there be a “Last Ship” movie?)

(Two unexpected guests who I was happy to see: Sting’s former Police mate Stewart Copeland and his lovely wife, Fiona. He loved the show. And told me he’s got three operas in the works. Stewart, like Sting, doesn’t seem to age!)

There were also Sting’s fans, fans who know the music from two albums’ worth of recordings, and those who saw “The Last Ship” on Broadway two years ago. Even the latter were surprised how much the show has changed and grown. It reminded me of what happened to “The Color Purple,” which was not a hit its first time around but returned to Broadway reimagined and disarmed everyone with its charms. This could happen to “The Last Ship,” which just feels so new now and very exciting.

What’s changed? Some cast, although that was never a problem. The music is the same, if not better than ever. The title song is still magnificent and moving. A great number from the middle of the show, “Show Some Respect,” now comes toward the end and has taken on new meaning. But I love the ballads and the mid tempo numbers written by Sting in a manner Richard Rodgers would appreciate, of lush melodies and clever lyrics. The  standouts are “When the Pugilist Learned How to Dance” and “Dead Man’s Boots,” each of which is now staged and delivered to maximum effect. I’m also still enamored of a wonderfully catchy “What  Say You Meg?” sung by our hero Gideon to his former flame when he realizes– and we do, too– that he actually loves and wants to be with her.

Sting, of course, grew up in Newcastle under the shadow of the ships being built. He saw the decline of the industry, and how the people depended on it as it faded. The story he created was about a young sailor with wanderlust (Gideon) who unwittingly leaves a pregnant girlfriend to find himself. He returns 17 years later to find the shipyard being sold off, the business crumbling, that he has a teenage daughter. There’s also the parallel story of the foreman who’s held up the values and kept the business going now facing his own immortality.

Sting himself plays Jackie White now, whose character has been fleshed out. It’s funny to think of the former cheeky, sexy leader of the Police, now 68 years old, as the stalwart of a shipyard but there we are. Sting’s Jackie centers the story, gives it gravitas and history. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a magnetic force on stage, and his voice has only aged with richness and texture.

Jackie Morrison, a Scottish singer, is now playing Peggy White, Jackie’s wife, and she’s a perfect counterpart to Sting. Her voice isn’t really heard until the second act, and it’s a thrill when we meet her. The main characters, our disjointed lovers, Gideon and Meg, are the very sure and sexy Oliver Savile and Frances McNamee. The two actors always had potential for chemistry but never seemed in sync. Now, thanks to the terrific work of co-author Lorne Campbell, we get it, they get it. The central romantic story is adult and meaningful. As their punk daughter (played with Irish spunk by Sophie Reid) says, “Aren’t we beautiful?”

Yes, you are.

Quentin Tarantino on the Magic of Screenwriting: “I do believe screenplays are meant to be read. Maybe in my case to a fault”

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Once Upon A Time …at Tuesday  night’s “Final Draft” Awards on the Paramount lot, Quentin Tarantino reigned supreme. He was presented with the Final Draft Hall of Fame Award, which was given to him by one of his biggest screenwriting inspirations, the legendary filmmaker Walter Hill. The two titans were in good company as they were surrounded by the literary elite, all there to honor Hollywood’s written word.

Final Draft is the industry’s gold standard screen writing software. Steven Canals, co-creator of “Pose” was given the New Voice Award for TV. Funny brothers Randy and Jason Sklar were the evening’s emcees, along with Final Draft President Scott McMenamin.

“Parasite” director Bong Joon Ho was there to give the New Voice award to “The Farewell’s” Lulu Wang. He told me that Tarantino’s film was “absolutely charismatic.” Quentin had this to say to the crowd: “I do believe screenplays are meant to be read. Maybe in my case to a fault. It’s all about the emotional experience that you have reading the script, and that you get caught up in it and you see the movie.”

Quentin went on to describe one of his first screenwriting attempts. “I tried to write my version of “Paradise Alley” about these three Italian brothers in the 30’s in New York and it was called “Brooklyn BR.” Like “Reservoir Dogs” ‘BR’ doesn’t stand for shit, it just sounded good! I think I got to page 35 on that one.” He then spoke to screenwriters specifically and told them what some studio executives he had just met with conveyed to him. “They told me something that I didn’t quite know. It’s kind of one of those golden secrets on the studio side of the gates that I think you writers should know…That writers now want to get into the writers room of a TV show. That’s the big thing to do. But these executives are looking for those spec scripts and people aren’t writing them. People are trying to get jobs. But before we got jobs we poured our hearts and souls into these cockamamie masterpieces.”

Tarantino expounded on his subject.  “I’m just telling you, if you were to go into your bedroom and lock the door and three months later come out with a screenplay, I’ve heard from big people they are waiting to read them. They want to read that diamond bullet script from that person they never heard of before that they can say is their own…I think that’s what they call an opportunity in the marketplace and I want to pass it on to ya’l!”

That was met with rapturous applause from the appreciative crowd. Showing support for Quentin were “Once Upon A Time” Producer David Heyman, actress /stunt performer and Quentin muse Zoe Bell, “Pulp Fiction” co-writer Roger Avary, Oscar nominated screenwriter Josh Olsen, Director Maria Gabriela Cardenas, actors John Savage, Jamal Trulove and Blanca Blanco, noted Producer David Permut and longtime Quentin pal , the talented filmmaker Adam Rifkin, whose film “The Last Movie Star” which boasted Burt Reynold’s final performance and that Quentin is a huge fan of, chatted about their mutual love of the late actor. Kudos to Madelyn Hammond and her team for putting together such a creative, lively atypical award event.

The Empire Strikes Back: Grammy Female Execs, Grammy Former CEO All Take on Ousted Deborah Dugan Before She Takes Her War to “GMA”

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This has really gotten out of hand. Deborah Dugan, ousted head of the Recording Academy, is appearing on “Good Morning America” Thursday morning in an effort to keep her war going against her almost former employer. Why? Does she really hate the Grammy Awards this much?

Today, the Empire Struck Back. The women of the Grammy executive committee issued their own declaration of solidarity against her and in favor of their organization. Also, and just as important, former CEO Neil Portnow out his denial regarding Dugan’s assertion that he, Portnow, allegedly raped a recording artist and that it was covered up.

Portnow says, and I do believe him: “The allegations of rape are ludicrous, and untrue. The suggestion that there was is disseminating a lie. The baseless complaint about my conduct referenced in the EEOC filing was immediately brought to the attention of the Board of Director’s Executive Committee. An in-depth independent investigation by experienced and highly regarded lawyers was conducted and I was completely exonerated. There was no basis for the allegations and once again I deny them unequivocally.”

I am told a woman did make an accusation against Portnow, and that it came to nothing. What happened next may have been a game of Telephone or just idiotic gossip. It should have ended there. But in this #MeToo environment, spurious allegations can lead to reputations being ruined. Ditto for NARAS lawyer Joel Katz, whom Dugan claims tried to kiss her in a public restaurant, and offered her discounts at Neiman Marcus on dresses so she’d look good at NARAS  events. In her EEOC complaint, Dugan says Katz offered to show her his vacation home. Have things gotten out of control? Knowing Joel for 25 years, he invites everyone to his house in the Bahamas. That’s who he is. It”s just called being nice. It’s unlikely he would even be there. (I’ve never been there, don’t get excited.)

Here is the statement from the very fine female board members of NARAS. None of these women would make such a statement if they didn’t believe it. They know something wacky is going on, and Dugan is counting on everyone falling for it in this environment.

“As women, voting members, creative artists and entrepreneurs who serve on the Board of Trustees of the Recording Academy, we are deeply committed to this organization and its affiliates and the good work that is done beyond the GRAMMY Awards – advocating for artists’ rights, providing critical assistance for music people in times of need and educating, mentoring and inspiring the next generation of music makers.

Along with our male colleagues, we have made great strides in increasing our diversity throughout the organization, both in leadership at the national level, within our twelve chapters around the country, and in the nominations. Diversity has always been a priority – although admittedly, not always easy to accomplish. The partnership with the Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, led by Tina Tchen and established in May 2018, amplified those efforts, created a clear path to follow and opened the door to building even more bridges to the music community at large. We pledge to continue those efforts.

It is deeply disturbing to us – and quite frankly, heartbreaking – to witness the firestorm against our organization that has been unleashed. The Academy is keenly sensitive to any and all allegations of harassment or abuse, and we support the independent investigations that have been launched. Thank you for your patience as these continue.

We have collectively volunteered many years of service guiding and supporting this organization. We would not have taken precious time away from our families and careers if we felt that it was a “boys’ club.” We are leaders of this organization and fully committed to transformational change both within the Academy and within our industry at large.  

We stand ready to address all concerns, allegations and accusations with facts in hand. In the meantime we continue to pursue our mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture.”

signed–

Tammy Hurt, Vice-Chair
Christine Albert, Chair Emeritus
Leslie Ann Jones, Trustee, Executive Committee Member
Terry Jones, Trustee, Executive Committee Member

Review: The Only Audience for Hollywood Narrow “Shocker” “The Assistant” Might Be Harvey Weinstein’s Jury

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I don’t know who Kitty Green is, but she’s made a little docudrama called “The Assistant” that is supposed to shock Hollywood and everyone else.

Alas, the only audience for “The Assistant” might be Harvey Weinstein’s jury, although I’m sure the judge would never allow it to be seen by them. Indeed, there may be a problem since “The Assistant” will be released in just 1o days, as the Weinstein trial takes off. How can the judge stop the jury from seeing the movie or hearing about it?

Green is an outside director/producer/writer. But someone with alleged inside knowledge of Weinstein’s office– down to its look– obviously advised her. It’s an uncanny recreation of how Weinstein’s office operated, at least according to Green and her cohorts. They’ve even cast actors to look like people who worked for Weinstein over the years. One of the producers is James Schamus, formerly head of Focus Features, and someone who had many meetings with Weinstein in his Tribeca office over the years. (I even saw him there once when I was leaving an interview.)

The names are changed, if there are names at all. We don’t really know anyone except the main character, Jane, who’s been an assistant in a  New York movie mogul’s executive office for five weeks. Jane is played by Julia Garner, who is exceptional. Garner plays Jane as a girl of great vulnerability who finds herself taken hostage by dire madness. It’s not funny. Truly, it’s almost a horror film.

Think of “The Devil Wears Prada” except it’s all real, and very, very scary. Jane is treated like a doormat in the office, overlooked, neglected. She’s a maid, a nanny, a gofer. Her duties include cleaning sex stains out of the executive couch and watching over the mogul’s three young rambunctious children. (This is particularly mean and uncalled for.) She returns lost jewelry to young women who’ve been hosted in the mogul’s office after hours.

The mogul is cheating on his wife, who — to give this a twist– has a French accent. We never see her or him, but we hear them. Whoever’s doing the voice of Weinstein has studied his cadences pretty closely. Into the office is dropped a 21 year old whom the mogul has “discovered” in Idaho, at the Allen retreat, and has brought to New York. He puts her up in the Mark Hotel for assignations. This is what makes Jane break, and she goes to Human Resources. There she meets part of the conspiracy– it’s almost like she’s a Stepford wife trying to escape– and is turned away.

Everyone at the movie company is on the mogul’s very bad, if not illegal behavior. But in the end, “The Assistant” goes nowhere. There’s no real plot, no character development, and no interest in the story developed beyond “look at this.” It’s more a scenario than a screenplay, a very long short film. I don’t know why Bleecker Street bought it, it’s not for theatrical consumption. I’m not even sure it’s for TV since when it winds down, the feeling is, “Okay, so?” or “And then what?”

But people in the film business, and those who worked for Weinstein, will be curious. And when the trial is over, so will all its participants.

Confirmed: Ousted Grammy Chief Deborah Dugan Demanded $22 Million to Leave Before She Was Put on Administrative Leave

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Ousted Grammy chief Deborah Dugan wanted $22 million to leave her post as head of the Recording Academy. She and her lawyer made the demand before she was placed on administrative leave. Melinda Newman reported this first in Billboard.com. I was stupid. I knew this over the weekend and was waiting to confirm it. So let’s say I had independently confirmed it as well.

Dugan and lawyer Bryan Freedman went to the Recording Academy trustees and made this demand after executive assistant Claudine Little had filed an HR complaint against Dugan and took her own leave. (I wrote about this earlier.) Freedman managed to secure $69 million from NBC for his client Meghan Kelly last year. So why not a Hail Mary pass and ask for a lifetime of salary from the Academy where Dugan had worked only since August?

Dugan’s salary is said to be just under $900,000, a good jump from her previous salary of around $550,000 from the (One)/Red Campaign, Bono’s charity. A three year contract would only be worth $2,700,000 more or less. But she and Freedman must have figured that bad press would make it hard for her to get another job.

An email went out to the Grammy trustees, I am told, with the demand. It was shot down.

Dugan is no longer eligible for Best New Artist at the Grammys this year. (I’m joking.) She will turn out to less than a one-hit wonder. Maybe just a novelty record, like the Singing Dogs. (Remember them?)

Just a note to Variety, which is trying to reduce the value of my reporting by saying I’m a “long time supporter of Neil Portnow.” Yeah, so what? He’s gone. He has just about nothing to do with what’s going on now. Indeed, he has NOTHING to do with Deborah Dugan, or whatever she did after she succeeded him. I was also a supporter of Harry Truman.

 

Grammy Lawsuit Update: (Exclusive) No Lawsuit This Week as Recording Academy Employee Waits for Investigations

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Here’s an update in the saga going on at the Grammys and the Recording Academy:

Claudine Little, the executive assistant to ousted NARAS chief Deborah Dugan, will not be filing a lawsuit this week. I am told she’s waiting to see the results of investigations into her complaints against Dugan, the Academy’s own investigation into Dugan.

Little has hired, as I wrote yesterday, the law firm Glaser Weil in Hollywood, heavy hitters in the field of employee litigation. But Glaser herself is not handling the case. Kerry Garvis Wright is the partner who’s taken on Little’s side. She’s considered a top litigator with a lot of interest in the music business. Wright, however, is not talking for the time being.

Sources point out to me that Little worked for Michael Greene at the Academy before she was Neil Portnow’s assistant. She has a long history with the Academy and knows where all the bodies are buried. One source says, “Claudine could have been a great resource for Dugan. But instead, Deborah chose to make life difficult for her. She wanted her out and kept moving targets so that Claudine couldn’t succeed.”

What developed was a hostile work environment. Little took a leave of absence after filing a report with Human Resources. It wasn’t until after that Dugan sent her own letter about the Academy, which ultimately got her put on administrative leave.

The acting head of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason Jr, sent a letter out today to the “Academy Family.” He wrote: “In November of 2019, the Executive Committee became aware of abusive work environment complaints alleged against Ms. Dugan and in December 2019, a letter was sent from an attorney representing a staff member that included additional detailed and serious allegations of a “toxic and intolerable” and “abusive and bullying” environment created by Ms. Dugan towards the staff. Given these concerning reports, the Executive Committee launched an immediate and independent investigation into the alleged misconduct of Ms. Dugan.

“After we received the employee complaints against Ms. Dugan, she then (for the first time) made allegations against the Academy. In response, we started a separate investigation into Ms. Dugan’s allegations. Ms. Dugan’s attorney then informed the Executive Committee that if Ms. Dugan was paid millions of dollars, she would “withdraw” her allegations and resign from her role as CEO. Following that communication from Ms. Dugan’s attorney, Ms. Dugan was placed on administrative leave as we complete both of these ongoing investigations.”

Mason is concerned about leaks depicting the Academy as the bad guy here. I think (that’s me, Roger) that Dugan was very clever in picking the same attorney — Bryan Freedman– who tried to make Meghan Kelly into a martyr at NBC after they fired her for endorsing black face (among other things). Freedman got the jump on the Academy with a press attack.

Meantime, it’s Grammy week, and none of this should affect that. The Grammys go on, particularly the Sunday afternoon stuff where all kinds of cool people are honored. And the show on CBS Sunday at 8pm will be the usual combination of stunning surprises and crazy new music that only the kids like.

More to come, so hold on. PS My thanks to my pals at Variety for giving this column a nice attribution today.

Madonna Cancels Another Show, This Time in Lisbon, With 45 Minutes Notice, Hopes to Return Tomorrow (“Fingers Crossed”)

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Madonna is certainly suffering from her blown out knee. She cancelled another show, this time in Lisbon last night with 45 minutes notice. She wrote on Instagram: “Thank you again Lisbon! 🇵🇹 Sorry I had to cancel tonight but I must listen to my body and rest!! That white Port.🍸 got me through the rest of the show! See you on Tuesday fingers crossed”

Last night’s show was the 8th to get scrapped on the Madame X tour. She toasted the audience and her dancers at the previous show with some White Port, the most she’s had to drink, she says, so far on the tour. Madonna is worth at least $50 million. Maybe it’s time to rethink this tour and sit more, or cancel the rest of it until and if she’s recovered.

EXCLUSIVE: Recording Academy CEO Ouster May Result in Filing of Major Lawsuit As Exec Assistant Hires High Powered Hollywood Law Firm

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EXCLUSIVE The saga of the ousted Recording Academy CEO continues to take sharp turns.

I’m told that Claudine Little, the beloved executive assistant to Deborah Dugan, is preparing to file a major lawsuit against the now ousted CEO.

Little, who has been at the Academy since before her former boss, Neil Portnow, ran the show, has hired high powered law firm Glaser Weil in Los Angeles to represent her.

The lawsuit would allege that Dugan caused an untenable situation in the executive offices that included verbal abuse and mistreatment. Little’s Recording Academy email says she’s out of the office through the end of 2019. But she hasn’t returned.

The announcement of Dugan being placed on administrative leave has turned the insular world of the music biz upside down. Dugan and lawyer Bryan Freedman have gone overtime insinuating that they have tremendous secrets to reveal about the Recording Academy.

But I’m told that Dugan has been planning an exit for weeks. A couple of incidents in the last two weeks are suspicious. One was a puff piece article about Dugan in the LA Times on January 15th, the day before was ousted. The article made it seem Dugan was on top of the world and approaching the forthcoming Grammys with great anticipation. Less than 24 hours later, she was out.

On January 10th, Dugan posted a photo of the executive staff on Instagram, all smiles and coffee. It read: Coffee and danishes to start the day with @RecordingAcademy team! 🎶 We’re ready for the #GRAMMYs (January 26)” (See below)

“She knew what she was doing,” says an insider.

In addition to the lawsuit from Little, there’s bound to be more accusations from the Recording Academy in the coming days, if not hours. Many of the Grammy trustees are women, and I’ve been told they back Little and the Academy in this fight. Dugan is said not to have made many friends during her short stint in the executive suite.

Many are agape at Dugan’s attorney announcing she required security after receiving “threats” since the news of her exit broke. (Really? What was the threat? To have to listen heavy metal or X rated rap all day?)

Indeed, what is this Instagram post from January 10th all about? Stay tuned…