Former New York Party Promoter Michael Alig to be Released From Prison in May

An infamous piece of New York club history is going to be walking free on May 5. Michael Alig, who was not only a promoter for Peter Gatien's Limeligh

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Complex Original

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An infamous piece of New York club history is going to be walking free on May 5. Michael Alig, who was not only a promoter for Peter Gatien's Limelight nightclub, but was the subject the 2003 film Party Monster (with Macaulay Culkin in the starring role), will be released from prison in May for the murder and dismemberment of a drug dealer, "Angel" Melendez. It's an interesting tale, as Alig, then known as "The King of Clubs," was a huge part of the rise of the "club kids," aka party people who dressed in some of the most outlandish gear to hit up the NYC nightlife. Alig also helped aid in the rise of his then-boyfriend DJ Keoki. The craze was so popular that the "club kids" would regularly hit the national TV talk show circuit:

It's an interesting piece of dark dance music lore, as there was a period where the police hadn't bothered with even investigating Melendez's disappearance... until his torso washed up somewhere in Staten Island. Alig was found guilty and sentenced (along with accomplice Robert Riggs) to 10 to 20 years in prison. He's been eligible for parole since 2007, but was denied numerous times (his first denial being after the parole board watched Party Monster). His next parole hearing was to have been scheduled for this coming July, but with good behavior he appears to have been granted an earlier release. And according to Page Six, Alig's already dreaming up ideas for parties.

If you want to learn more about Alig, check out the 1998 documentary Party Monster: The Shockumentary down below:

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