The Pavilion Est.1980-2004
Art by Ken Brusca
It was the end of the golden age of the Pines. At the end of the 1979 season the beloved Sandpiper was being replaced by a new club called the Pavilion. It was an end of an era, and many in the community were not happy…
Arden Catlin Real Estate
The Sandpiper
The Pavilion was built in 1980 on a site of much history. The location originally held a model home for new buyers in the community. After being purchased by Pines pioneer Arden Catlin it became her Real Estate office, Post Office, and Picketty Ruff café. In 1965 she leased it to Gene Smith and Ron Malcolm with partners who opened the Sandpiper restaurant/club (read more).
In 1979 lease negotiations fell through, making way for partners Charles de Rohan Chabot, Steve Goodfriend, Sam Haddad, Scott Facon, Harvey Einman, Jerry Acaro, and Larry Lavorgnia to open their new Pavilion. Jerry Arcaro, one of the original owners of Pines Pavilion and his partner Harvey Einman(r) circa 1977.
1977. Jerry Arcaro & Harvey Einman
Count Charles de Rohan Chabot in his twenties.
Completely different than the Sandpiper it solved some of the sound issues by enclosing the club in its center with no windows to let sound escape, and having an outdoor restaurant upstairs overlooking the harbor. The community at first despise it calling it the box that the then new ferry came in. Longing for the beach feeling of the former Sandpiper they did eventually embrace it, enjoying its dark moody interior complete with balconies overlooking the dance floor to view all. Up to that point many in the Pines would go to the Grove’s Ice Palace for all night dancing. This soon changed as the Pavilion became the place to dance. DJs like John Ceglia, Robbie Leslie, Michael Fierman, Warren Gluck, and Susan Morabito created the soundtrack to the Pavilion experience. In 1987‐88 realtor Bob Howard leased the Pavilion. Gone was the restaurant, opening up the upper deck to what would become a new Pines ritual “High Tea.” In 1989 owner of the Blue Whale, and Botel John Whyte purchased the Pavilion adding its trademark chandeliers, and bringing in a new era of all night dancing.
1980. Artist Jack Brusca created what is the first logo art for the new Pavilion. A painter, costume and jewelry designer he was obviously involved. Below he inscribes the painting done in his style to Bernie. It is assumed this is Bernice Lubitch who was an owner in the Sandpiper.
Jack Brusca
was a painter who was also a set and costume designer for ballet, including work performed by the Alvin Ailey Company. He worked with an airbrush in acrylic paint, died of AIDS on July 31, 1993.
The original plans seen here called for a restaurant “Natural Source” upstairs. It evolved then in 1984 to the Pavilion Café owned by Frederic Rambauod, Dominique Rougier, and Alan Ceppos. Neither were a success.
Contractor Bill Katen was hired to build the new Pavilion. Work begins the end of the 1979 season.
1982. The Red Star Cafe opens with new management Leonard Gal, John Minchik, and chef Leon Sulanowski. This effort fails also, and the emphasis on nightclub becomes more dominant.
The Pavilion wore many hats. Below as a market.
1983. Frequent Pines visitor Disco producer Jaques Morali brings his group The Ritchie Family to perform at the Pavilion.
John Ceglia begins his residency bringing in a new era of late night dancing in the Pines. Up until then it was all about the Ice Palace in Cherry Grove.
1986-87. Realtor Bob Howard leases the Pavilion, and begins a new tradition called “High Tea.” This takes place on the former restaurant site on the upper deck. It was here where you migrated from the Tea Dance at the Blue Whale ending at 8. Stand and model, as it was sometimes called you got caught up on all the comings and goings of the weekend.
1988
Jason McCarthy as manager of the Pavilion.
1989-Pavilion bartenders with Bobby Gurecki, Andrew Tonio, and Felix VanDewilde.
1989 . John Whyte purchases the Pavilion adding the chandeliers and skylights to the club design.
1991. Lighting designer Marsha Stern working the lights at the Pavilion.
The Pavilion beginnings by Marsha Stern
It was the Summer of 1979 and in The Pines the most exciting event of the season was Beach ’79 (a groundbreaking fund raiser for FIPFD) however the ‘buzz’ was all about what was going to happen next season because we knew this was the last season of the Sandpiper. I spent many a summer evening with friends as we discussed what WE would do to to create the ‘ideal dance club’ in The Pines…SHOULD we ever get the chance. Only a few months later, I found myself sitting at Roy Thode’s kitchen table with Harvey Einman as we awaited the news…a call came from Harvey’s partner Jerry Arcaro, who was in Key West. We closed!! At that moment we know our plans and hopes from the summer had a chance to be realized. The original partners, Charles de Rohan Chabot , Sam Haddad, Jerry Arcaro, Steve Goodfriend and Larry Lavorgnia , and Harvey Einman all came from various backgrounds and with the exception of Sam, none of them really knew anything about the nightclub business. But they were all part of The Pines Community and DID know what they wanted the space to offer the Community and it was from that point we went forward. Construction began as soon as possible that Winter/Spring with William Katen Custom Building at the helm and the club opened it’s inaugural season in May 1980. Alan Dodd was chosen as “house DJ” and opened the Pines Pavilion to kick off the season. Tom Kozalka had been chosen as lighting & technical director. While the sound system was permanently installed the lighting system for the first season was all rented. It was in the Fall of 1980 that I was approached by ‘The Partners’, specifically Larry, Jerry and Charles to take the helm as next season’s technical director. Much to my surprise at the time, I was also informed that the lighting system from opening season was rented and I needed to design and install the light-show as well. March and April 1981 saw me and my crew (Total Stage Associates) implementing my lighting design and completing installation in time for a early/mid May opening. George Corwin, Electrical Contractor, worked closely with me, to insure all electrical codes and issues were met and personally signed off on our installation. While elements of the lightshow changed over the years, the electrical plan and basic design of power, control and distribution remained the same until 2006 when the building was ‘peeled back’ to some of Bill Katen’s original work and some old Sandpiper remnants. Just as Flamingo and 12 West were to the Sandpiper, the Pavilion enjoyed a natural relationship with the Saint, especially when it came to talent – obviously they were both seasonal and attracted the same crowd. Alan Dodd’s success that opening Summer led to his being chosen to open The Saint and become one of it’s premier house DJ’s. The initial DJ roster of the Pines Pavilion contained all the expected favorites from NYC — which also included many DJ’s from The Sandpiper’s last season. Along with Alan there was Wayne Scott, Richie Rivera and Robbie Leslie among the many recognizable popular DJ names of the era. As the Saint’s DJ roster grew over the years one can also find parallels to the growth of the Pavilion’s roster. By the time the summer of ’81 rolled around I, too, was firmly ensconced in my own relationship with The Saint having spent their opening season working with Mark Ackerman as both a ‘behind the scenes’ lighting person and also became the first female to ‘perform on lighting’ in March of 1981, working alongside my dearest friend and soulmate Roy Thode. In my position at the Pavilion during the summer of ’81, I was able to bring in various ‘talent’ by way of lighting operators to compliment the DJ selections and naturally Mark Ackerman, Jim Hicks and Richard Tucker were among the notable ‘light-people’ quickly added to our roster. The following season and for many years afterward that roster (with the notable addition of Richard Sabala as Mark Ackerman had relocated to Baltimore by 1984) until the John Whyte era which brought in Michael Stein at the helm along with the famous chandelier.
Alan Dodd
Roy Thode
While planning for the upcoming opening season during the winter of 1980, the owners WANTED Roy to play at the Pavilion however it was impossible because of Roy’s position at the Ice Palace and this is why Roy Thode never DJ’d at Pines Pavilion, even though it was owned by some of his closest friends. The original construction of the Pines Pavilion featured an atrium with the staircase that wound around it to get to a second level which was a restaurant that only lasted 2 seasons. The entrance to the DJ booth was also the entrance to the kitchen area in those early days. There was no bar upstairs that opening season but it soon became a great place for people to hang out. The bar was downstairs and located against the easternmost wall and there were small round windows similar to the windows of a ship that overlooked the harbor. The dance floor was the entire footprint of all of the downstairs space that remained west of the bar area and support beams. The DJ booth booth was located upstairs (South side) with absolutely no immediate access to the dance floor. The bathrooms were located downstairs in SW corner of building. The dance floor was never bigger than it was during this era of the original Pines Pavilion. There was 1 bar the length of the building, a very large dance floor, great DJs and lighting and a room filled with friends that had lots of fun together dancing and playing as was our Fire Island custom. We could go upstairs and hang out and had plenty of seating in the built-in banquet-style booths of the restaurant. The first season however, much to the chagrin of the owners and “our family” we found the nickname given to the Pines Pavilion was “The Box” as everyone longed for the days of the little sea-shack style restaurant-turned-disco, The Sandpiper. Often change is initially met with resistance. Slowly, over the years little bits of structural renovations took place. A rear staircase was opened up, additional seating area and skylight and an upper level bar soon replaced the restaurant seating and redefined the upper level. Additionally ’High Tea’ was born giving new life to the second level deck. The kitchen was converted into offices and the atrium no longer existed when retail space was added below. Inside the disco an additional bar was placed under the DJ booth on the ground floor. There was also a ‘catwalk’ one could enter from ground or second level. We could just hang out over the dance-floor, still a part of the room or walk downstairs onto the dance floor and immerse ourselves.
DJ Robbie Leslie joins the Pavilion experience as the role of the DJ takes on new importance.
DJ Michael Fierman begins his residency and the art of late night dancing becomes part of the Pines culture.
He is soon joined by a roster of some of the top DJs of the era…
The balconies become a favorite part of the Pavilion experience. A favorite feature the balconies enabled you to view down below, but also feel part of the scene.
It was new owner John Whytes idea to add Georgian chandeliers. The chandeliers added a touch of elegance to the rustic surrounding.
The reign of all night dancing begins….
The reputation of the Pavilion joined the ranks with clubs like the Saint and Paradise Garage as a haven for the party experience.
DJ Susan Morabito joins the male dominated DJ pool at the Pavilion.
It has always been the best seat in the house for the Invasion.
Time rolled on and the Pavilion continued to be the cornerstone of the community.
The millenium approaches…
The wind of change was blowing through the Pines as owner John Whyte sells his empire to Eric von Kuersteiner. Eric has new vision to bring young people back to the Pines, and with that comes a new Pavilion…
