David Mancuso

David Paul Mancuso (October 20, 1944 – November 14, 2016) was an American disc jockey, notable for organising invitation-only parties in 1960s New York City, which led to him founding The Loft nightclub. The first such party, called "Love Saves The Day", was held on 14 February, 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. 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.