Michael Alig, Real-Life Party Monster, Dies at 54

Micheal Alig, the real-life inspiration for the 2003 film Party Monster was found dead in his Manhattan apartment of an apparent heroin overdose. Alig was a New York City club promoter in the 90s and made a name for himself as the leader of “Club Kids.” He was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree for the 1996 death of Andre “Angel” Melendez.

Alig’s story was made popular by the sensationalized book titled Disco Bloodbath: A Fabulous but True Tale of Murder in Clubland written by his friend James St. James and published in 1999. Later renamed Party Monster, it, along with coverage of the case, inspired the 2003 film which starred Macauley Culkin as Alig and co-starred Seth Green as St. James.

At the height of Alig’s club days, “Club Kids” was a catch-all term for outrageously dressed club-goers, first gaining attention with several television appearances, including a panel with Alig and Rupaul in 1987. Club Kid parties were often themed and, like raves, could take place spontaneously anywhere in the city or its outer boroughs. Most famous is a Club Kid gathering that took place at a fast food joint and another on a Manhattan subway platform.

Information concerning Melendez’s March 17, 1996 murder, which was carried out by Alig and his then-roommate, Robert “Freeze” Riggs, was first revealed in an April 1996 article in downtown weekly the Village Voice, written by Michael Musto. Although Musto disguised the identities of those involved, it was known to many in the scene that Alig was responsible for the heinous act largely because he was openly boasting about it.

In interviews since his release from prison, Alig took some issues with the movie’s portrayal and has also tried to correct the narrative, particularly as it involved Melendez, citing his own drug use as creating “another reality” as opposed to a premeditated act.

Alig’s struggles with drug use persisted even after his 17-year prison stint. In 2017, Alig was arrested in the Bronx for smoking crystal meth. His death has been attributed to a heroin overdose, though additional details have yet to be revealed.