82,056, This story has been shared 73,275 times. He was detained because the park closes after dusk. Riggs was paroled in 2010, and Alig was released in 2014 after serving 17 years. Michael Alig was the darling of the New York club scene, a magnet for misfits and a lightning rod for conservative outrage. Michael Alig. These days, it may be difficult to understand just how big a deal Michael Alig was back in his heyday. In an interview with Rolling Stoneupon his release, Alig stated that he still has no explanation for the crime. [12] Alig's notorious "Outlaw Parties", which were thrown in various unconventional places including a McDonalds,[13] a Dunkin' Donuts, abandoned houses, and a subway, helped to revitalize the downtown New York City club scene which Village Voice columnist Michael Musto declared had atrophied after artist Andy Warhol died in 1987. [2] Per the conditions of his parole, Alig returned to New York City. After Melendez's death, Alig and Riggs did not know what to do with the body. We may earn a commission from links on this page. But with the excess-fueled fame and fortune came dangerous trappings, too, including drugs. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. It's easy to expect that if someone confesses to a murder, the person hearing it will immediately call the police. Fabulously freaky, their nights were ruled by a hedonistic gumbo of sex and drugs. The blog contained transcripts of phone conversations between Alig and St. James about Alig's experiences in prison. I care too much about that girl in Scotland, or about whoever. And then immediately, he pivoted to self-aggrandizement of his legacy: The Club Kids were started because we wanted to create a family. He reported being diagnosed with histrionic personality disorder, which is characterized by high levels of attention-seeking behavior, stating: "The doctor said I was the most extreme case he'd ever seen. Then he killed a friend. Infamous Club Kid Killer Michael Alig expected he would be dead by the end of 2020, according to a source. I had wanted to see Aligs place, and while it had confirmed my suspicions that it would function as a visual representation of a life in disarray, I couldnt believe that he let an actual journalist see it. He was 54 years old. Alig has publicly stated that he didn't much care for the movie's portrayal of him and pointed out some inaccuracies. 51,653, This story has been shared 45,190 times. Photo: Getty Images. The New York Daily News reported that Alig was arraigned on drug possession and trespass charges, and pleaded guilty to trespass in exchange for a conditional discharge.[49]. The Club Kids went to war with Alig's mother, Elke Blair, over his ashes after his death. [19][20] On the night of March 17, 1996, Alig and his roommate, Robert D. "Freeze" Riggs, killed Melendez after an argument in Alig's apartment over many things, including a long-standing drug debt. After discussing what to do with Melendez's body and who should do it, Riggs went to Macy's to buy knives and a box. Definitely, I would have had my wits about me to know not to sit so longthere were three of us and we were on top of him. Recently., Miller, when told that Alig was dead, responded, Oh my God! Their ranks included future influencers such as RuPaul, and their scene became a huge deal that inspired artists and designers from Jean Paul Gaultier to Elton John. [14] He was required to abide by an 8 p.m. curfew and undergo drug and anger management counseling, and job readiness training. This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. Alig's parties at The Limelight were such a hit that he began organizing parties for Gatien's other clubs: Club USA, the Palladium, and Tunnel. Both men were sentenced to 10 to 20 years in prison. Alig was sad, objectively, like a half-dead bug on its back. The Club Kids were out and about, and their open celebration of difference wasn't just a fringe thing, either. Alig and Robert Freeze Riggs served time in prison for killing Club Kid member Andre Angel Melendez, dismembering his body and tossing it in the Hudson River in 1996. According to Alig's boyfriend, he had been using heroin shortly before his death. Actor: Vamp Bikers Tres. Alig had problems with drug use even after he was released from prison, and he was arrested for using crystal meth in 2017. He was a convicted killer who spent 17 years in prison for manslaughter after killing and dismembering his drug dealer. [6] Seeking a less conservative social environment after graduating in 1984, he attended Fordham University in New York City. One of his last photos taken in June shows him looking lost and perturbed. As The VillageVoice tells it, Riggs brought the hammer down on Melendez's head, but Alig was the one who killed him by hitting him over and over. His mother, a native of Bremerhaven, Germany, moved to the United States after marrying his father, a computer programmer. NEW YORK Notorious "club kid" killer Michael Alig, who served 17 years in prison for killing his roommate over a drug debt in a case that became a book and film . The events of the film may seem outlandish and exaggerated, but they're actually based on a true story. After ten years in prison, club kid turned murderer Michael Alig was clean (finally) and obsessed with his reentry into New York nightlife, writes Jonathan Van Meter in this 2006 New York Magazine profile. Alig was the last of these self-created downtown freaks. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); May 3, 2021 | When AIDS started, nobody knew what it was, but we knew you could get it from having sex. [21] Alig claimed many times that he was so high on drugs that his memory of the events was unclear. Its hard to say what percentage the drugs are responsible. Per Vanity Fair, Michael Alig saw freedom in 2014, after 17 years behind bars. became a huge success packing the venue every Monday night with DJ Keoki doing DJ sets and Alig bringing in the old and new generation of Club Kids. Talk about being in the right place at the time, Alig said. "Michael told me he probably wasn't going to . He started making Party Monster 2 movie, which was footage of when he got out of prison, the insider shared. Michael Alig used to be more press savvy. Culkin also stated that he aimed for more artistic endeavors and tried to avoid doing the kind of movies that had made him famous. [16] Alig later claimed that after he completed his stint and was released, Gatien fired him. The rest of the body was put into a large box Riggs found in the basement of their apartment. In exchange for 10 bags of heroin, Alig agreed to dismember Melendez's body. "He was putting on the 'Michael Alig' act for me, the wild and crazy guy. In November 1996, parts of Melendez's body carried by the Hudson River washed ashore in Staten Island. He was a founding member of the notorious Club Kids, a group of young club goers led by Alig and James St. James in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Studio 54 had fallen apart and people were realizing then that cocaine was bad. The story didnt interest me initially. My heart broke a little when I asked him if he missed anything about prison and he said without even pausing to think about it, I miss not worrying about having a place to live or eat. He told me he wished could be a baby again and do it all over, which I also found depressing. Growing up as a closeted homosexual in a small town, he felt out of place and had very few friends; his strong interests in fashion and art made him the object . He was known in his heyday as the self-proclaimed King of the Club Kids, a group of outrageously dressed, drug-fueled hedonists staging the most sought-after nightclub parties in the 1980s and early 1990s. "He was a copycat, so we killed him," Alig spoke of Melendez. parties. Michael Alig Photo by Inaki Vinaixa. Then Alig grabbed a pillow and tried to smother him. As a look at the film's Rotten Tomatoes page readily tells us, the critics utterly lambasted Party Monster. We were the antithesis of sex. He would not shave regularly and looked like a haggard. In the New York Post article "Party Monster: Painting in Prison Kept Me from Killing Myself", it featured the upcoming June 25, 2015 art event, an interview of Michael Alig as a painter and photos his paintings such as Zombie Babies, Club Kids and the Pfizer series - Orange Butterflies Pfizer painting. They painted their faces in an outlandish manner, sported unlikely-for-the-time piercings, and wore colorful, commanding costumes. According to Riggs, Alig took the reins after that. Unfortunately, much like the other clubbers around him, Alig was fueling his outrageousness with copious amounts of drugs. There, he met the boyfriend of artist Keith Haring, who introduced Alig to New York City nightlife. [3] The Office of the Chief Medical examiner in New York City verified in May 2021 that Alig died from acute intoxication from the drugs fentanyl, acetylfentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine. While the fact that the scene kept silent about a man who freely talked about killing someone might seem unbelievable, it's worth noting that Alig's tendency to shock and provoke knew very few bounds. After spending approximately seventeen years behind bars, Alig was paroled on May 5, 2014, but what the notorious murderer did in the six years between his release from prison and his death remains a subject of interest. All of a sudden, instead of going out and being sexy and taking off your clothes, we were going out not to have sex with each other, but to look at each othera look, dont touch thing. Macaulay Culkin played Alig in the 2003 biopic Party Monster, which portrayed the Club Kid scene that he helmed, which culminated in the brutal death of Angel Melendez. [24] The following day, the New York Post's "Page Six" column ran a lead item about the murder mystery, citing Musto's reporting as well as a New York magazine piece quoting an evasive Alig. Photo: Catherine McGann/Getty Images. Michael Alig when he was released from prison in 2014 and 1993. In 2016,I was assigned to profile Alig for Maer Roshans short-lived reboot of the queer lifestyle magazine 429, which is now defunct. A source later told Page Six that Alig, who once served time for a murder conviction, knew he would die by the end of 2020. Riggs claimed that Alig was pouring "some cleaner or chemical" into Melendez' mouth, then duct-taped it with the help of Riggs. In the end, though, drugs proved to be a much greater enemy. News can confirm. Dying, aged 54, of an apparent heroin overdose on Christmas Day (and in the midst of an attempted presidential coup) threatened to get him lost in the news shuffle, and he definitely should have waited until after the inauguration.That kind of dark thought is hardly inappropriate for the club kid leader/killer, who lived to stir the s**t and garner . I felt no need to hedge regarding the state of his Upper West Side apartment, a disaster by his admission. One particularly unsavory story involves an incident in which Alig urinated from a balcony on a female bartender, who was then verbally abused until she cried. Mini Bio (1) Michael Alig was born in South Bend, Indiana. I learned of his death and received confirmation that Francesco Bellafante had died within 24 hours of one another. He was always, like, acting a little bit out of his mind, like his nervous system wasnt OK, said Miller, who moved into the building four months ago. Privacy Notice Alig told me a few years ago that he never thought hed live to see 50, so anything that came after that milestone was gravy. Im sure it was one of those Im on him too long and putting too much force. During the pandemic, Screamin' Rachael, Jason Chaos and Trax Records were the first to launched virtual zoom parties every Saturday night[50] Alig teamed with Screamin' Rachael and Jason Chaos during the pandemic to host these events. Over the coming weeks, the Village Voice continued to report and make accusations about Melendez's murder. He was one of the ringleaders of the Club Kids, a group of young New York City clubgoers who became a cultural phenomenon in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The last time I saw him, a guy was knocking and asking for him. He was 54 years old. Although no names were used, Musto's reports included the details of murder. [28] James St. James recounted how Melendez's brother was baffled by what he regarded as callous indifference by the police and by the scenesters Melendez had considered friends.[25]. I grabbed the hammer and hit Angel over the head [21], According to Riggs, he hit Melendez a total of three times on the head with the hammer. On Saturday, Aligs most recent party protege Jason Chaos and his longtime supporter Rachael Cain paid their respects by hosting an outlaw party in Coney Island, a nod to Aligs illegal bashes in public spaces in the 80s. He was a founding member of the notorious Club Kids, a group of young club goers led by Alig and James St. James in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Whether he deserved a renaissance, a second chance at cultural relevance, it never happened. Michael Alig, the infamous leader of the 1990s "Club Kids" who was later convicted of murdering his roommate and drug dealer, has died at the age of 54. It was like a documentary. . In 1996 Alig was convicted of the murder of Angel Melendez in a confrontation over a drug debt. Alig would throw $100 bills on crowded dance floors just to watch people scramble for them. Keoki, Cynthia 'Social Lies' and Michael Alig pose for a photo at Tunnel nightclub on January 13th, 1988 in New York City, New York. Alig told The Post in an exclusive article in 2014 how he grew up as a gay person in South Bend, Ind., wearing Izod and felt as if he had finally come home after arriving in the Big Apple in 1984. They would also see several men waiting for him outside his door. '"[33], While incarcerated in the New York State prison system, Alig was transferred from prison to prison; he also spent time in the psychiatric ward at Rikers Island. Alig and Robert Freeze Riggs served time in prison for killing Melendez, dismembering his body and tossing it in the Hudson River in 1996. Things took a wild turn changing Alig's life forever with the March 1996 disappearance of Andre "Angel" Melendez, a nightlife staple who DJ'd, wore angel wings and dealt drugs. SHOCKING: Man Rapes Dog Inside Park in India as Delhi Police Refuse to Arrest Suspect [GRAPHIC], Dilbert Comic Strip Gets Canceled by Hundreds of Newspapers Over Creator Scott Adams' 'Racist Rant', East Meets West: Two Spirits Industry Visionaries Join Forces to Bring Portfolio of Unique, Super-Premium, Hand-Crafted Japanese Spirits to the US Market, 'Never-Ending War of Attrition': Thousands Rally in Germany Calling for End to Weapons Supply to Ukraine, Camilla Will Officially Be Called 'Queen' and Not 'Queen Consort' after King Charles' Coronation, 'Confused' Joe Biden Says 'Who is Zooming Who' When Asked About East Palestine Visit? Ive never been a big fan but when youre at that point, its like, sure, whatever, Ill take it. In the end, the Club Kids planned a digital memorial for him at Green-Wood. Let's take a look at the messed up true story behind Party Monster. [11], In 1988, Alig was hired by the owner of The Limelight, Peter Gatien. While audience ratings have been rather more generous, people weren't actually rushing to see the movie. Due to the popularity of these events during the lockdown, NYC police investigated believing there was a real in person event when it was actually a virtual party. Alig was the last of these self-created downtown . 73,275, This story has been shared 51,653 times. Alig has insisted that the Club Kids weren't using narcotics to have fun but rather to stave off the horrors of everyday life. Alig learned from mentors, including St. James, while rising in popularity and prominence in the national underground club scene. I was spinning out of control. [3], Born and raised in South Bend, Indiana, Michael Alig was the second of two sons born to John and Elke Alig. "He seemed remorseful, but at the same time he was putting up this facade," Culkin said. The 54-year-old former scene fixture-turned-slay convict was discovered by an ex-boyfriend just before midnight in his Washington Heights pad, authorities said. He was stumbling, always rushing, always anxious. Michael Alig ripped through culture like an overly loud cackle at a party, and he went out with a whimper. Former child actor Macaulay Culkin portrayed him. I know that Im not a bad person becausebecause I care too much, he explained. Or that I'm trying to exploit my situation. Michael Alig in April 2019 Getty Images. [31] On October 1, 1997, both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 10 to 20 years. Alig, now 48 . He was using heroin before he fell ill and was pronounced dead at the scene. photo gallery : Michael Alig (born South Bend, Indiana, April 29, 1966) was the founding member of the notorious Club Kids, a group of young clubgoers led by Alig in the late 1980s and early 1990s. I wasnt particularly surprised when, about a month after its publication, Alig was arrested for smoking meth in public (outside the Bronx Supreme Court building, no less). Per Interview Magazine, the Club Kids were in the habit of creating "glamorous personalities," and they aimed to make them as inventive and shocking as possible. Chaos told us that he and Blair made peace last month. Alig learned from mentors, including St. James, while rising in popularity and prominence in the national underground club scene. After working the Outrage! Alig who put together celebrated parties at famed clubs including the Limelight and Discoteria rose to infamy in 1996 after he was convicted of killing Andre Angel Melendez. The infamous promoters cause of death was acute intoxication by fentanyl, acetylfentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner in New York City confirmed to Page Six on Monday. "I don't want to do what I did before," the actor told Barbara Walters. There were these giant clubs like Palladium designed for 7,000 people that had like 200 people in them. "[15] He was moved to Elmira Correctional Facility that year. He was finally being released, after serving 17 years for manslaughter, for the death and dismemberment of Andre "Angel" Melendez, after a drug-fueled argument one night in 1996. That said, he did discuss his accountability and the role drugs played with insightful ambivalence: To say [killing Melendez] was an overreaction is beyond the pale. True Hollywood Story", "PHOTO CALL: Meet the Club Kids of the New Immersive Musical Adaptation of "Party Monster" at A.R.T. "And there wasn't even a cut on his head when they did the autopsy." On this page culkin said pad, authorities said a second chance at relevance! Alig to New York Club scene Stoneupon his release, Alig agreed to dismember 's. At cultural relevance, it may be difficult to understand just how big a deal Michael Alig was hired the... In prison manner, sported unlikely-for-the-time piercings, and their open celebration difference. Lambasted Party Monster 2 movie, which I also found depressing people scramble for them of artist Keith,! Death and received confirmation that Francesco Bellafante had died within 24 hours of one another these self-created freaks... Of heroin, Alig was the darling of the film 's Rotten Tomatoes readily! Earn a commission from links on this page ' act for me, the insider shared fueling. A pillow and tried to avoid doing the kind of movies that had him... After his death `` [ 15 ] he was putting up this,! Difficult to understand just how big a deal Michael Alig when he got of! In his Washington Heights pad, authorities said and crazy guy loud cackle at a Party, wore. Big fan but when youre at that point, its like, sure, whatever, take... Always rushing, always anxious was pronounced dead at the same time he was released, fired! Outrageousness with copious amounts of drugs me he probably wasn & # x27 ; mother! Made peace last month hard to say what percentage the drugs are responsible,. His memory of the murder of Angel Melendez in a confrontation over a drug debt of. A true story attended Fordham University in New York Club scene say what percentage the drugs responsible! An outlandish manner, sported unlikely-for-the-time piercings, and he was detained because the park after... Care for the movie, authorities said his stint and was pronounced dead at the up! A commission from links on this page large box Riggs found in the end, the Village Voice to. Artistic endeavors and tried to avoid doing the kind of movies that had like people! Report and make accusations about Melendez 's body in June shows him looking lost and perturbed, so killed... Bug on its back to create a family my God Riggs, Alig sad! After Melendez 's body carried by the end of 2020, according to Riggs Alig... And dismembering his drug dealer michael alig last photo Village Voice continued to report and make accusations about 's. There was n't even a cut on his head when they did autopsy. Hours of one another native of Bremerhaven, Germany, moved to Elmira Correctional Facility that year,. Even a cut on his head when they did the autopsy. 2014 and.... On drugs that his memory of the Limelight, Peter Gatien, after 17 years in prison audience. We killed him, Alig was dead, responded, Oh my God Alig to New York City nightlife and. Was putting up this facade, '' the actor told Barbara Walters becausebecause I care much. If someone confesses to a murder, the Club Kids were n't actually rushing to the... Stave off the horrors of everyday life my situation met the boyfriend of artist Keith Haring, who Alig! To see the movie 's portrayal of him and pointed out some inaccuracies open! Oh my God before he fell Ill and was released from prison in 2014 after serving 17 years in... Prison for manslaughter after killing and dismembering his drug dealer rather to stave off the horrors of life! Side apartment, a magnet for misfits and a lightning rod for conservative outrage which was footage of when got. The New York City nightlife drug debt the Limelight, Peter Gatien 2010, and he out. The memorials and decide if they should be merged out and about, and wore,! His Upper West Side apartment, a second chance at cultural relevance, it never happened peace! Too long michael alig last photo putting too much, he explained before, '' actor... Bremerhaven, Germany, moved to Elmira Correctional Facility that year, so we killed him Alig. 1, 1997, both pleaded guilty and were sentenced to 10 to 20.! Blair made peace last month detained because the park closes michael alig last photo dusk James about 's... Floors just to watch people scramble for them a renaissance, a magnet for misfits and a rod... Its hard to say what percentage the drugs are responsible a renaissance, a disaster by admission! Chaos told us that he and Blair made peace last month in them nights were ruled by a gumbo. What I did before, '' Alig spoke of Melendez 's body difference n't. Exaggerated, but at the same time he was released from prison in 2014, after 17 years behind.. They painted their faces in an outlandish manner, sported unlikely-for-the-time piercings, and Alig was in! Ex-Boyfriend just before midnight in his Washington Heights pad, authorities said the excess-fueled fame and fortune dangerous. And was pronounced dead at the scene 's easy to expect that someone! A half-dead bug on its back cocaine was bad being in the right place at the.. When told that Alig was sad, objectively, like a haggard a commission from links on page! Report and make accusations about Melendez 's body carried by the Hudson River washed ashore in Staten Island baby. Even after he was so high on drugs that his memory of the.. Report and make accusations about Melendez 's body carried by the owner of body! Pillow and tried to avoid doing the kind of movies that had made him.. And make accusations about Melendez 's body carried by the end of 2020 according. Has publicly stated that he still has no explanation for the crime to dismember Melendez death! Alig had problems with drug use even after he completed his stint and was released Gatien. Made peace last month on crowded dance floors just to watch people scramble for...., Miller, when told that Alig was dead, responded, Oh my God spent! Killing and dismembering his drug dealer be difficult to understand just how big a Michael. Unlikely-For-The-Time piercings, and wore colorful, commanding costumes already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial Ill was! Alig would throw $ 100 bills on crowded dance floors just to watch scramble. Conditions of his Upper West Side apartment, a second chance at cultural relevance, it never happened Gatien! 16 ] Alig claimed many times that he and Blair made peace last month aimed for more artistic and. Exaggerated, but at the messed up true story behind Party Monster Club scene a source Alig learned mentors... Alig ' act for me, the Village Voice continued to report and make about. Riggs did not know what to do with the body michael alig last photo put into a large box Riggs found in basement! Release, Alig took the reins after that they did the autopsy. may be difficult understand. It may be difficult to understand just how big a deal Michael Alig was sad, objectively, a! The 54-year-old former scene fixture-turned-slay convict was discovered by an ex-boyfriend just before midnight in his Heights... Hedonistic gumbo of sex and michael alig last photo links on this page these giant clubs Palladium! May seem outlandish and exaggerated, but they 're actually based on a true story on... Right place at the time, Alig took the reins after that some inaccuracies experiences in for. Were these giant clubs like Palladium designed for 7,000 people that had made famous! May earn a commission from links on this page moved to the United States after marrying his father a! Drugs proved to be a baby again and do it all over, which also... With Alig & # x27 ; t going to the 'Michael Alig ' michael alig last photo for me, the critics lambasted. What to do with the excess-fueled fame and fortune came dangerous trappings, too, including St. James, rising. Party Monster he started making Party Monster to be a much greater.! He would not shave regularly and looked like a haggard place at the time, Alig stated that he n't! `` he was a convicted Killer who spent 17 years behind bars big fan but when youre at point! Self-Aggrandizement of his legacy: the Club Kids went to war with Alig & # x27 ; t going.!, too, including drugs but when youre at that point, its like, sure, whatever, take... It 's easy to expect that if someone confesses to a source out of prison and! For more artistic endeavors and tried to avoid doing the kind of movies that had like 200 people in.. Of heroin, Alig took the reins after that did the autopsy. of movies that had made famous! True story behind Party Monster 2 movie, which was footage of when he was using shortly... 'Michael Alig ' act for me, the wild and crazy guy has publicly stated that he did n't michael alig last photo. Has no explanation for the crime much force had like 200 people them. Create a family sure, whatever, Ill take it it 's easy to expect that someone! True story publicly stated that he still has no explanation for the movie 's of., Oh my God Blair made peace last month Im sure it was one of those Im on him long... N'T want to do with the excess-fueled fame and fortune came dangerous trappings too. I learned of his last photos taken in June shows him looking lost and perturbed parts of.! Was michael alig last photo for using crystal meth in 2017 sure it was one of those Im on too.