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Not surprisingly, a cornucopia of characters hung out at the notorious swingers club Plato’s Retreat in New York City. With my collaborator, Mathew Kaufman, we attempted to track down every one of them. Fortunately, we dug up the former managers of the club, Charlie and Annie Grippo, who actually lived at nightspot for a few years in the late 70s, only leaving their basement bungalow for groceries and incidentals. From our very first phone call with Charlie and Annie, we knew that they would make a wonderful addition to our documentary. We found their back and forth repartee to be hilarious – and their information was essential to the film, as their testimony at trial was key in sending the owners of Plato’s to prison for tax evasion. Initially though, Charlie and Annie refused to participate. We persisted though. At one desperate moment, Mathew offered them a helicopter ride to Atlantic City to play poker. Still, Charlie and Annie, who absolutely love casinos, balked. Eventually – aft er several amusing exchanges – Charlie and Annie agreed to sit down with us and give their first-ever interview. It’s a laugh riot.
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