User:Aria1561/sandbox
King Arthur's | |
 | |
| Address | 200 Beacham Street |
|---|---|
| Location | Chelsea, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 42°23′44.51″N 71°3′10.33″W / 42.3956972°N 71.0528694°W |
| Owner | Arthur Guttadauro (1977–2007) Beverly Guttadauro (2007–2014) |
| Type | Strip club, motel |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1977 |
| Closed | 2014 |
| Demolished | 2020[1] |
King Arthur's Motel and Lounge (also referred to as King Arthur's Motel, King Arthur's Lounge, or simply King Arthur's) was a strip club and motel in Chelsea, Massachusetts. It was opened in 1977 by Arthur Guttadauro, who transformed it from a rooming house. King Arthur's maintained a notorious reputation throughout its history, being marred by several incidents. A murder by Chelsea and Everett, Massachusetts, police officers in 1982 at the motel received widespread attention as an instance of police brutality, forever damaging the club's reputation. A car bombing, second murder, and lawsuit by club strippers also negatively impacted the reputation of the club. King Arthur's closed down in 2014 amid revoked licenses and unpaid mortgage payments. Despite attempts to revive the strip club, the building was demolished in 2020.
Operational history
King Arthur's Motel and Lounge was located at 200 Beacham Street in Chelsea, Massachusetts, sitting adjacent to the border between Chelsea and Everett, Massachusetts; both are next-door suburbs of Boston. Previously, the building that housed King Arthur's had been a rooming house. The building was purchased by Arthur Guttadauro, who turned it into a strip club with a built-in motel, which opened in 1977.[2] Stephen A. Rosenberg of The Boston Globe described the structure as a "cinder block fortress",[2] with The New York Times describing the interior as containing a "dusky red lounge" where "strippers perform under violet lights against a backdrop of shimmering strips of aluminum".[3] The building's façade had signage claiming "live entertainment", with amateur nights being held on Wednesdays and breakfast being served all night during Fridays and Saturdays.[4]
The club mainly attracted truckers, businessmen, and drug dealers upon opening,[2] though workers at nearby produce distribution centers also frequented the club during the daytime.[3] Jeremiah Murphy of The Boston Globe described King Arthur's as "a trucker's dream". He recalled that the truckers would often stop at the club following 12-hour work days and "sit at the bar with their caps pushed back, while they drink cold beer ($2 a piece), and watch the almost traditional flat-chested strippers take off their clothes while trying unsuccessfully to keep time with the piped in music", adding that the truckers often made use of the bedrooms at the motel following nights out at the lounge.[4] The club also saw instances of prostitution, drug dealing, and brawls between customers throughout its lifespan.[2]
Incidents
1981 car bombing
On December 2, 1981, a bomb exploded underneath an unoccupied 1973 Pontiac Catalina parked outside of the club, destroying the car entirely and blowing out the front windows of the King Arthur's building. The club, which had been hosting an amateur night, was only slightly crowded during the bombing and no injuries were reported. The car had belonged to Somerville, Massachusetts, resident Charles Cella, the night manager for the club at the time. The police could not establish a motive for the bombing, though Guttadauro suspected that it was the result of a personal vendetta against Cella. Guttadauro estimated that replacing the club's windows would cost $1,500.[5]
1982 murder
2008 murder
2009 stripper lawsuit
Post-closure
References
- ^ Daniel, Seth (June 11, 2020). "Farewell to the King: No One Will Miss Infamous Strip Club". The Chelsea Record. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Rosenberg, Stephen A. (July 28, 2014). "Chelsea closes notorious strip club King Arthur's". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ a b "Melee Turns Town Against Its Police". The New York Times. August 17, 1982. p. 21. Retrieved January 8, 2023.
- ^ a b Murphy, Jeremiah (July 31, 1982). "A prediction is right on". The Boston Globe. p. 17. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ "Probe continues into car bombing". The Boston Globe. December 4, 1981. p. 41. Retrieved January 8, 2023.