Back in 1973 the night New York fashion financier Ben Shaw made millions selling Halston to Norton Simon. I went with him to hot spot Elaine's. She sat at our table all night with her back to the door. Ben was the first manufacturer who believed in designers like Georgio St. Angelo, Bill Blass, Stephen Burrows, Halston, to name a few.. Ben later took a bath in silver with the Hunt brothers and did not back me in a loft on E. 57th. He was partner with Oscar de la Renta, Albert Capraro, and owned the building at 550 Seventh Avenue where the big designers had there show rooms, where Ralph Lauren is today.. I used to work both ends of Seventh Avenue down around the 30's was the cheap dress garment district where I worked for Joe Norban.. Ben didn't like Joe so that was a problem for me really.. I needed them both - there was more glamour back then because there was more secrecy.. Ben hooked me up in Beverly Hills with Fred Heyman and Martha's in Palm Beach she had a boutique on Park Avenue.. If I would of just had an alter ego business partner I could of been another James Galanos or Norman Norell.. So, another story unrelated to Ben Shaw is..
I remember one night at Studio 54 when Halston came in with Liza. I was with Cory Daye the singer in 'Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band'. This was 1977 . Cory sang her big hit "Cherchez la Femme". I saw Halston put at least an ounce of cocaine on the bar and the bartender cut straws and took down a mirror from the wall. At the end of the night it was all gone. That same night! I saw Liza hand Micheal Jackson his hat on the dance floor!! She was in rare form, at the top of her game, Micheal was a little young yet. "Thriller" was still years away. He took it like a gentleman. She was the Queen of 'Studio 54' alright - a real professional , you would of paid a hundred bucks to see this at Madison Square Garden. That dance floor was so competitive, it was funny, the people would come in like from New Jersey and think they would get in. They did not realize I guess that all Steve Rubell wanted was good looking gay men to dance and go under the stage to have sex. The way to get in was be hot and look like you were there to dance. He was a hustler !! It was a gay bar !! Later he opened up the Palladium, not the same. I did like the Mike Todd room went to a fun Whitney Houston party there, later on in 1983 the night Clive Davis signed her contract...
