Frankie Carattini — ACME
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Anyone can spot ACME from afar by the mass of people sprawled across Great Jones Street hoping to get in. And if you couldn't see the crowd, you could tell you were near the famous spot by the cacophony of people shouting one name—”Frankie”—in the hopes of getting the attention of the door man perched at the top of the ramp. “Working this job, you’re the host, curator, and protecting the best interest of the club all at once,” says Carattini. At any point of the night, collections of men and women make their way to the front of the crowd to try and meet Carattini’s rapier wit head-on. “I treat it like it's my house party. I might bully you a little bit. It's an icebreaker that takes off a level of pretension. I want it to be that you’ve got to work a little to get downstairs.”
Even if that sounds harsh, his process is a result of a long tenure at ACME, a deep care for the club’s regulars, and a rather generous desire to give those not “on the list” the opportunity to make an impression rather than just doling out a flat “No.” Matching his silver-tongued sarcasm with a clever remark could be the shibboleth needed.
[Photo by Parker Calvert]