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magazine called The Cock "the last filthy gay bar in New York", and he stated, "here is-alarmingly-no other bar like it in the city and very few bars like it left in the country." Of the bar's current location, New York magazine said: "Despite the new space, retains its penchant for irony-laced depravity." Alexander Cheves of them. The Cock's reputation with patrons and critics is one of a raunchy, uninhibited space some comment that it contrasts with the "corporate sterility" of New York and that similar venues are not common in the United States. It is a distinctly European-feeling space. In the midst of all this corporate sterility, The Cock stands out like a precarious red light in a city without a red light district. A May 2021 Queerty article indicated that, later in the year, Mannarelli intended to "spruce up an unused space and open it as the Celebration Room" in honor of Wooden, who died of a suspected case of COVID-19 in March 2020. Mannarelli resolved to reopen the 93 Second Avenue location during New York City's 2021 Pride week, at which time it was announced that the bar would require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for entry. This was met with protest by area residents, and Community Board 3 struck down the request. Ahead of its reopening, Mannarelli applied to transfer the establishment to an address on Rivington Street. Like other New York City nightlife venues, The Cock shut down temporarily during the COVID-19 pandemic. This caused the SLA to admonish the community board and warn it that it would be held responsible for any future problems at The Cock. The state liquor authority (SLA) denied this request, but Community Board 3 approved it.
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The following month, Mannarelli attempted to change The Cock's liquor license to that of "a nightclub with live music and dancing". Police responding to the incident entered the premises, and they issued summonses for sexual exposure by the venue's go-go dancers. In January 2020, there was a reported slashing outside The Cock's entrance. During the same period, pornographic actor Boomer Banks began his career as a go-go dancer at the bar. Throughout the 2010s, The Cock was managed by Nashom Wooden, a fixture of the New York City nightlife scene who performed in drag as Mona Foot and was a member of the Ones. Displeased residents of nearby dwellings organized a "Block the Cock" campaign. This move was met with resistance by the East Fifth Street Block Association, which opposed new venues in the nightlife-saturated neighborhood, and the community board, which attempted to block the bar's liquor license. The following year, the bar successfully relocated up Second Avenue, into a space formerly occupied by Lit Lounge. Mannarelli attempted to move The Cock from 29 Second Avenue to Avenue B in 2014, but Manhattan Community Board 3 rejected his application after learning that the venue would offer " drag shows, 'art performances', and meat pies". After the business reopened, it ran into legal trouble when patrons continued to smoke indoors after the 2003 statewide smoking ban, but its only formal citation was dismissed. The venue was temporarily shuttered in 2000 for being a public nuisance. swarming the Cock as often as twice a week, ticketing for anything they could find". That "anti-nightlife" era saw "cops and inspectors. The bar was raided frequently during Rudy Giuliani's tenure as mayor of New York City. not only horny young men but also plenty of spectacle-seeking celebrities," including Christina Aguilera, Boy George and George Michael. According to New York magazine, " sordid acts and general carefree air. In its early years, the venue hosted exhibitionist shows organized by promoter Mario Diaz. Since then, it has relocated twice: first to 29 Second Avenue and then slightly northward to 93 Second Avenue. The Cock opened in 1998 and was originally on Avenue A in Manhattan. It is owned by Allan Mannarelli, a straight proprietor who also operates Albion, a bar in Kips Bay, and who used to manage Superdive, a now-closed establishment in the East Village. The bar's street presence is minimal, marked only by a neon sign of a rooster. New York magazine describes the venue as having "a rollicking backroom sex scene", while the main room features theme parties, go-go dancers and DJs. The interior consists of two levels, with the basement serving as a dark room. The Cock is one of a few remaining cruising spaces in New York City, and photography is prohibited inside.