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Tell everyone who you are and what you do?.

I was born and raised by my two immigrant parents in a Greek-Italian neighborhood in Astoria Queens, New York. Growing up, I was a part of a group of tough kids in the 80’s and 90’s. At 18, I felt lost and had no inspiration nor goals. It wasn’t long after that I was offered an opportunity to become a stockbroker on Wall Street, a story within itself. It was very similar to the movie The Wolf of Wall Street. It had the same setting, same wild energy. It was like a wild college fraternity where you could make money.

The only difference was we didn’t scam people out of their money, we invested their funds into other companies. From that job, I quickly learned how to make money, work ethically, and eventually applied those skills to build my own brand.

What made you want to open a nightclub?

One of my first clients came in 1996. It was a guy by the name of Lampros Moumouris. He was my business partner, mentor, and best friend - he even baptized my only son. Lampros was in the adult nightclub business in Texas since 1990, owning several clubs in Austin.

In 2001 we faced a criminal indictment for insider trading from the SEC and FBI. I was 24 years old, and all I knew at the time was how to sell stock over the phone and I was pretty good at it. I was earning a 6-figure salary. When I was facing the end of that career and was trying to figure out what would be next, Lampros and his businesses came to mind. The higher level of adult

“cabaret style” nightclubs did not exist in New York City the way they did in Texas. I was able to convince him to open a club with me in the South Bronx, a mile away from Yankee Stadium. In 2002, Sin City Cabaret was established.

Sin City became a staple in the region, known as a very popular place frequented by celebrities, athletes, and very influential industry people despite its location in the South Bronx compared to similar clubs in Manhattan. The fact that it was located in the South Bronx, was one of the reasons it became the landmark night club it did.

Let’s talk about “Show Palace Queens” and how it got started. A few years later, after Sin City was well on its way, we wanted to expand with other brands. We set our eyes on a location in the upcoming neighborhood of Long Island City, Queens: not far from where I grew up. It was a big investment for me, purchasing the property for $3.5 million. Our game plan was to build a bigger and better version of Sin City, so we partnered with Dave Grazzianno and his team of interior designers.

Dave co-founded and operated nightclubs himself, such as Bagatelle, Kiss and Fly, and RDV. I was thrilled to collaborate with such a visionary, to create an adult night club like no other. Not only was it going to be the largest in New York City, but also be the most visually appealing and have the type of ambiance we were seeking. We originally named the club Gypsy Rose, after the first well known burlesque dancer in the US.

However, we faced opposition from the local community board. Because Long Island City had been formerly full of prostitutes, gangs, and drugs and was now gentrified, it was on the way of being one of the hottest neighborhoods in the city. The board didn’t see our vision; that adding an entertainment venue would be strongly aligned with where the neighborhood was heading. They inevitably influenced the State a. @gussbossman b. www.sincityphl.com c. www.showpalaceny.com

Liquor Authority to deny our Liquor License. As a result, we had no choice but to open up without alcohol and go fully nude - a concept in the adult nightclub industry that works, but never in a space as classy or extravagant as ours. With hope of appealing the SLA decision (which we thought would be temporary at the time), we adopted the name Show Palace as we didn’t want to associate Gypsy Rose with a non-alcoholic, fully nude, 18+ club. Now, over a decade later, Show Palace is a booming success.

Where do you see yourself in the next three years?

If the stars all line up right, and the perfect location and partnership arise, Miami!

Tell us more about “Sin City” in Philadelphia.

In 2017, Sin City in the Bronx was facing a lot of opposition in the form of legal issues, because at that time the South Bronx was starting to gentrify. Sin City’s run was coming to an end, and I did not want to see the brand I put my blood, sweat and tears to build (and considered “my baby”) to completely disappear. When an industry friend mentioned a club being sold in South Philly, I went to go see the venue, and saw its potential. I decided to start the negotiations in 2017 and finally closed on the deal in April of 2019. We went into construction that July with the goal of opening the fully renovated space by May of 2020. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit, putting a halt on the finishing touches of the construction phase. We opened the club in very odd and uncertain conditions when the city allowed the hospitality industry to open up with restrictions in September (50% occupancy, 6 foot distancing, 12 midnight lights out). This was not the way to make a first impression in the nightclub business, to say the least.

If you could go back and talk to your younger self, what would you tell him?

I would tell myself to get a law degree.

What is one fun fact about yourself?

I’m a private pilot, an aviator, and had a cameo in the movie Hustlers with Jennifer Lopez!

What is one of the biggest accomplishments you’ve received in your career? The level of originality Sin City reached and being recognized among other great venues established in New York City (such as Studio 54, Palladium, The Tunnel, Limelight, Score Cabaret, and others.)

Are you working on any new projects or upcoming events? Not at the moment, but we are always looking for and considering new locations.

Where can the readers follow you?

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