1. Michael Alig was an American club promoter who was convicted of felony manslaughter.
32 Facts About Michael Alig
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Michael Alig 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.
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On Christmas Eve, 2020, shortly before midnight, Alig died at his Washington Heights home from an accidental drug overdose at the age of 54.
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Michael Alig studied architecture there before transferring to the Fashion Institute of Technology.
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Michael Alig soon dropped out of school and began working at Danceteria as a bus boy.
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In 1988, Michael Alig was hired by the owner of The Limelight, Peter Gatien.
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Alig's notorious "Outlaw Parties", which were thrown in various unconventional places including a McDonalds, 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.
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Michael Alig's parties became notorious due in part to his own "bad behavior".
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Michael Alig would throw $100 bills on crowded dance floors just to watch people scramble for them.
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Michael Alig was arrested several times for drug offenses and entered rehab, but continued to use drugs.
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Michael Alig later claimed that after he completed his stint and was released, Gatien fired him.
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Michael Alig claimed many times that he was so high on drugs that his memory of the events was unclear.
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In exchange for 10 bags of heroin, Michael Alig agreed to dismember Melendez's body.
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Michael Alig cut his legs off and put them each in a separate garbage bag, then into separate duffel bags and threw them into the Hudson River.
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Musto had previously reported on Michael Alig's firing from The Limelight and noted the buzz about a missing club person.
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Since several months had passed, many people believed Michael Alig would get away with murdering Melendez, until children playing in the water pulled a box containing a legless torso from the waters of Oakwood Beach at Miller Field, in New Dorp, Staten Island.
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Michael Alig fled New York, but was located by police in a motel room rented by his drug dealer boyfriend, Brian, in Toms River, New Jersey.
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Michael Alig was yelling "You better get my money or I'll break your neck".
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Riggs claimed that Michael Alig was pouring "some cleaner or chemical" into Melendez' mouth, then duct-taped it with the help of Riggs.
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Michael Alig disputed these claims and cited the "Drano in the hypodermic needle" as one of the key false dramatizations in Disco Bloodbath and Party Monster.
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Michael Alig claimed he killed Melendez in self-defense and helped to dispose of the body in a panic.
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Michael Alig remained in solitary for another two-and-a-half years after a drug test showed that he was still using drugs.
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Michael Alig was again denied parole in July 2008 after failing several drug tests.
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In March 2009, Michael Alig said he finally decided to stop using drugs and that he had been sober since then.
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Per the conditions of his parole, Michael Alig returned to New York City.
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Michael Alig was required to abide by an 8:00pm curfew and undergo drug and anger management counseling, and job readiness training.
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In May 2015, a selection of Michael Alig's paintings went on display at the SELECT Fair in New York.
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On June 25,2015, Michael Alig had his first and only art show event held in three separate art galleries in New York City in the LES area.
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The New York Daily News reported that Michael Alig was arraigned on drug possession and trespass charges, and pleaded guilty to trespass in exchange for a conditional discharge.
30.
On December 24,2020, shortly before midnight, Michael Alig was found unconscious by his ex-boyfriend at their Washington Heights, Manhattan, home.
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Michael Alig was using heroin before he fell ill and was pronounced dead at the scene.
32.
The Office of the Chief Medical examiner in New York City verified in May 2021 that Michael Alig died from acute intoxication from the drugs fentanyl, acetylfentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine.