Former church-turned-decadent-club kid disco, The Limelight burnt out in 1997 when Michael Alig went to jail for dismembering drug pal Angel Menendez and owner Peter Gatien was convicted of tax evasion in 1999 and later deported to Canada. Just last week, the former epi-center of nocturnal sin re-opened as Limelight Marketplace, a gleaming white and black mini-mall selling everything from flip flops, caviar, scented candles and cupcakes. So don't expect to find Walt Paper, Richie Rich, James St. James (author of the great Disco Bloodbath) or Desi Monster shopping there. Here a few of Limelight's most colorful characters share some of their favorite stories.

Michael Musto: "I had a party there for Edith Fore (aka Mrs. Fletcher, the "I've fallen and I can't get up" lady). Walkers hung from the ceiling and I ushered Fore to the stage where she said her immortal line and the crowd (consisting of diverse people from Ron Jeremy to Quentin Crisp) went wild. And a dinner for my birthday, hosted by Brooke Shields and Julia Sweeney. By that point, publicist John Carmen was so strung out, there was practically no food, no invitees, and only downer music. I can still barely face Brooke and Julia to this day as a result. I was also part of Gabriel Rotello's Downtown Dukes & Divas  revues, an all-star variety show where we sang oldies backed by a full band. But mostly, the club kids dominated with Disco 2000 Wednesdays promoted by Michael Alig. He's the one who peed into punchbowls, pushed people into pools, and ultimately killed someone. (But other than that, he was nice!) That night featured an "Unnatural Acts" revue with performances by creatures like Clara the Carefree Chicken and Danny the Wonder Pony. Also a guy named Sebastian who drank his own urine onstage. When I wrote about him, gay activists protested that I only wrote about gay weirdos. But he was straight!

Susan Anton: Back in late '88 or early '89, no one went to Limelight, but we ventured there for a performance and it felt unusually eerie with the hooded clan coats hanging from the roof. They actually looked like Klu Klux Klan get-ups. Upon exiting, there were lit candles next to mailing list cards. I vaguely remember the reason we were signing them was either as a gag or to be polite because there was no reason to go there unless to secretly laugh at the lame spectacle. As I went to leave, my quick thinking friend started patting my hair as my bangs had caught fire from when I bent over a candle. Not too much hair loss but after that moment I had since thought the "church" haunted."

Peter Sibilia: "Hmmm... Limelight. It started with Chauncy and I, the It Twins. Keoki was spinning. I blacked out and was home at noon with sand in my shoes!"

Glenn Belverio: "Glennda broke paint-filled eggs on Kembra Pfhaler's vulva at a Voluptuous Horror of Karen Black show in 1995-ish. Also, I remember being the only person not on drugs at Disco 2000 in 1991."

Sean Michael Kirkham:  "I remember when I was brought on the Limelight case, the DEA could not infiltrate past Kenny Kenny. I was flown in from South Beach where I worked as an club buster to assist with the investigation. Both DEA agents Bob Gagne and Matt Germanowski were known from the press coverage. I was asked to make a bunch of undercover buys. Our targets were the employees, especially the drag queens who often subsidized their income by selling hits of E or vials of K, GHB or dime bags of coke. I made 15 controlled buys in order to meet the NYPD's open and notorious' rule, which lead to the closing of the club. All in all, I was paid $25,000 by the NYPD and DEA to close the Limelight. Later, I found out that the real target of the investigation was Peter Gatien."

Jenny Dembrow: "My early onset Alzheimers has affected my memory."