Former, New York club promoter Michael Alig, 54, has died of a suspected heroin overdose. His body was found Christmas morning in the Washington Heights, New York apartment in which he was living.
Alig found fame in the late 80s and early 90s as a party promoter in New York City. He was the most well-known face amongst a band of clubbers who earned a reputation for throwing outlandish and decadent parties. Alig appeared on The Joan River Show and Geraldo, among others, to talk about the ‘club kids’ scene.
However, the partying came to a crashing end in March 1996 when Alig and a friend, Robert ‘Freeze’ Riggs, whilst high on drugs, murdered DJ and fellow club kid, Andre “Angel” Melendez, following an argument about an alleged unpaid drug debt.
In Alig’s apartment, Melendez was struck with a hammer and smothered with a sweatshirt.
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The two men kept Melendez’s body in the bathtub for several days, before eventually dismembering it, packing the remains in a box and pushing it into the Hudson River. Body parts later washed up near Staten Island.
Related: “Party Monster” Michael Alig Thinks You Gays Are All Totally Boring Now
Rumors that Alig was responsible for Melendez’s death quickly began to circulate in clubland, to the point that writer and Queerty contributor Michael Musto commented upon it (without naming Alig and Riggs) in his regular Village Voice column.
Alig and Riggs subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter, in exchange for plea deal sentences of 10-20 years each.
In 2003, Alig’s rise and fall were portrayed in the movie Party Monster, with Macaulay Culkin as Alig. The movie was based on the book Disco Bloodbath, by fellow club kid James St James. There have also been two documentaries about Alig: 1998’s Party Monster: The Shockumentary and 2015’s Glory Daze: The Life and Times of Michael Alig.
Alig was released in 2014 and finished his parole in 2017 (Riggs was paroled in 2010).
Besides hosting a regular YouTube show, Alig struggled to find work or get his life back on an even keel.
Although he attempted to throw the occasional party, the gay scene had moved on and many balked at the idea of attending a party thrown by a convicted killer.
Alig was arrested for smoking crystal meth in a park in 2017, but pleaded guilty and was released on conditional discharge. In 2018, Page Six reported Alig experienced bouts of homeless, sometimes resorting to Grindr hookups just to find somewhere to spend the night.
Related: Michael Alig charged with smoking meth near Bronx Supreme Court
The New York Daily News was the first to report on his death. Alig’s boyfriend found him unconscious at around 3am and called paramedics. They attended but declared Alig dead at the scene. His boyfriend told authorities Alig had been using heroin, and cops also found bags of suspected heroin and other drug paraphernalia in the apartment.
succubus
good riddance to queen trash
Cam
Notice the anti-LGBTQ right wing troll account always has to use a homophobic slur?
Being a queen had nothing to do with the terrible things Alig did.
barryaksarben
He still was a better person than Kyle Rittenhouse right sucky?
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
I remember when this happened and think it a shame Musto’s article wasn’t included in a hyperlink. It disgusts me that he was even released from prison considering the only reason they dismembered the body was because it began to smell as it deteriorated. They beat him with a hammer and after it became clear he wasn’t dead they then smothered him to be sure? It seems almost as though they would have gotten more time by calling an ambulance to take the kid to a hospital than they got for doing what they did. I know there are plenty of you out there who find sympathy this this little b-tard but I clearly am not one of them. No one deserves to die like that and to even consider a plea bargain with this little low life POS is giving the middle finger to justice. He shouldn’t have come up for parole a day before he turned seventy-five.
Openminded
I’m with you Sister. Anyone who finds sympathy for this monster needs to simply sit down and think about performing the actual act of cutting up a human body and handling the parts to get rid of the evidence. Hell, I sometimes wonder how surgeons feel when they cut into a person’s abdomen to perform lifesaving surgeries. To kill someone would be bad enough, but to then cut them into pieces takes a whole different level of evil.
Catholicslutbox
Angel was a gay, poc, drug dealer. I’m surprised he was in there for a long as he was.
Weren’t they (nyc) going to sweep this under the rug if he would have testified against the club owner?
Creamsicle
This guy is tragic, but only because what happened is so predictable. Superstar NYC club promoter in the 80s and 90s? That’s gangland fuccboy territory, hence murdering one of his peers over an unpaid drug debt.
Then he got out and the entire world had moved on. No longer young and beautiful, and lacking other skills and connections, he died a penniless heroin abuser. It’s practically a morality play.
Cam
If he was smoking meth in 2017 and he had a history of major drug problems this was bound to happen, if the stuff about him was true, it was drugs that brought him down the first time so not much of a surprise that they got him eventually. Maybe Melendez’s family will find some comfort.
BoylesqueBubble
His influence on a small town boy who left for the big city, I kept up with whatever I could write or see about these club kids and Michael Alig. Found my home and fellow scene kids in Seattle. But then he murdered someone, and I was disgusted about his he was trying to decide what he would plea to, and it would depend on off he could have a TV in his cell. Unlike his co-murderer Robert “Freeze” Riggs who vanished into a new life…Michael was a relic, a notorious addicted relic who had been caught with meth after he was done with parole. He had his fan clubs taking care of him for awhile. I hope the Melendez family had something to be comforted by as it happened Christmas Day.
Kangol2
Such a sad story all around. And yes, that era of New York night life (and in other cities) is as distant now as Saturn.
cynicalsteve
Bye Felicia…
Joseph1971
He committed a terrible crime and paid the price. Anytime someone overdoses it is a shame, no matter what they did in their lives.
Chrisk
I have a feeling it was a suicide more then an accidental OD. Middle aged while homeless addicted to meth and Heroin sounds pretty rock bottom to me.
MrMichaelJ
OK, so the article doesn’t mention they poured draino down Angel’s throat and then smothered him?
Josh in OR
The way I understood it, they used their dirty heroin needles to inject the Drano directly, but that could be just years of embellishment for shock value. Hard to tell.
This whole story happened as I was beginning to really explore my sexuality, and I had an opportunity to go to NYC in my early teens with some older friends. They went to one of his parties, and for YEARS, I regretted not going. Then the murder happened. And then I read Disco Bloodbath. And watched the docs…
Never have I felt so lucky to have not gone to a party…
Hdtex
HUMAN GARBAGE
Essie
He and his cohort should have gotten life without parole for what they did but they both got out. I was afraid he would take up where he left off and become some sort of toy for the rich and infamous. Happy to see he suffered greatly the past few years and finally got what he deserved. Garbage doesn’t deserve to live a life.
Catholicslutbox
Lol. What?
Maybe if he was in his mid teens, and not in his fifties.
Bryan s!nger and co would never have never “partied” with another 50 year old.
Chrisk
Catholicslutbox
Yeah, Michael alig was way too long in the tooth for Singer and his pedo freinds.
Jon in Canada
All I can say is, no great loss.
Tombear
I agree he was a POS but I feel sorry for him. He manufactured a very sad life for himself. It’s over now.
Karrnal
Drugs. I don’t condone Alig’s actions in any way. But see where drugs can lead you?
Walker
Drug addiction doesn’t make normal people into Michael Alig, friend. The man was a sociopath.
johnnymcmxxx
A fitting end to a murderer.
WindChime
It’s a shame his life ended in such a low note. There is no denying that he was a very handsome man. In the end, however, he continued to live in a sinful lifestyle, behave recklessly and couldn’t slay his own demons. Why are gay men so easily hooked on disgusting drugs? Maybe most of them are morally flawed after all and can’t help themselves.
Catholicslutbox
Lol.
Cam
Translation: You’re an anti-LGBTQ right wing troll account using the death of a criminal to attack all LGBTQ people.
Mr. Stadnick
Only gay men get addicted to drugs. Straight people never take drugs! Sinful lifestyle , would make a good bad name. the rest of your comment was pathetic
Minerva Pomerantz
A gift to the world.
yendor808
Awe. Shedding tears . . . of joy. But also wondering why did it take so long?
azmadik
?James…
mastik8
Good news for Desmond?
Tombear
Alig was gay white trash. He made bad choices and died because he was an idiot. End of story!
scotty
nothing of value was lost.