The New York Athletic Club, famous for its Olympic athletes and role in nurturing U.S. amateur athletics, was The posh New York Athletic Club was the scene of a wild, knock-down, drag-out brawl on April 12.
The scene of a knock-down, drag-out brawl on April 12, with men and women swinging it out, tables overturned, glasses smashed and police called to restore order, according to the New York Daily News.
The bench-clearing melee led to three arrests and two people in the hospital, reports the New York Times.
The bench-clearing melee led to three arrests and two people in the hospital, reports the New York Times.
NYAC President S. Colin O'Neil fired off a letter to the private club's 8,600 members, calling the brawl "abhorrent" and promising "appropriate action." The toney club, which boasts squash courts and a strict dress code, costs $8,500 to join and $3,000 a year for membership.
The anonymous WallStreetJackass blog provides an alleged eyewitness account of the incident:
It was the best fight I've ever seen.Young people, old people, girls, members, non-members, it was a non-discriminatory ragematch. It's tough to elaborate on it's epicness but I'll do my best. It started near the booths that are across from the bar, so everyone at the bar and not involved quickly got pushed towards the windows facing the park. The brawl then expanded from the booths to the bar so no one could leave unless you wanted to to go through the lion's pit so we all just stood ... and watched it all unfold. It came in HOT.
The fight started over a young lady, says the blog:
After about 30 seconds it was just threats being yelled. Anyway, probably two broken noses right off the back, one dude knocked straight on his butt on the first punch, glasses thrown, broken glass everywhere , and all the tables turned over or shoved to the side, they were making their arena.....The first break in the fight occurred when a random guy hopped in to break it up, his girlfriend by his side. The commotion ended so everyone thought, until somebody knocked the guy's girlfriend over and this kid laid one dude right out. So now the fight expanded to three groups, three wolfpacks. Girl got knocked over again.
After a bartender screamed, "Call 911!" and the belligerents were kicked out, the fight seemed to be over. But wait:
It was all done , fight over. But no, it wasn't done...Some pudgy kid comes out of nowhere, I honestly don't think he was even involved, and connected straight into a much bigger kid's dome piece, couldn't have connected better, the kid hit hits a table, broke everything on the ground. Finally a bunch of guys push the crowd of fighters out of the bar, they get in the elevator and by the time I got down there 10 cops were arresting all of them.
The Daily News identifies the possible culprits as members and guests of the NYAC's 700-strong "Mercury Society," which the NYAC website describes as an intra-club for younger members:
The Club brings together the younger members (generally, but not restricted to, 45 and under) and affords a myriad of social venues and events. A typical social calendar of the Mercury Society includes Terrace Cocktail Parties, a New Year's 'Black Tie' event, the Night of Aphrodite, sunset cruises to Travers Island, golf outings, ski trips and numerous others. These popular events are known throughout the Club and are often attended by as many as 300 members and their guests.
