DYKE DIVE!

Episode 5 New York Nights: Mafia, Gay Bars, and Coming Out

Season 1 Episode 4

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In this episode of Dyke Dive, Dr. Marie Cartier sits down with Marna Deitch to explore her incredible journey through New York's gay bar scene in the 1980s. Marna recounts her first visits to gay bars, her process of coming out, and the life-altering decision to open her own lesbian bar, Cashmere at the Plaza Suite, in Long Island. However, her bar quickly became entangled with the mafia, and Marna shares gripping stories of mob control, protection money, and a dramatic confrontation that led her to shut the bar down. This episode offers a vivid look at the dangers and excitement of running a lesbian bar during an era when organized crime had its hands in many LGBTQ+ spaces.



The Dyke Dive, Last Call is a limited series podcast hosted by Dr. Marie Cartier.
Produced and Edited by Kimberly Esslinger

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