BUSINESS

Signatures Signing Off?

A Locust Street strip club fights for its existence.

by Steve Volk

Signatures, the controversial strip club at the corner of 13th and Locust, recently withdrew its application for an extension of its liquor license, perhaps ending the club's bid to morph from a humble 1,000-square-foot strip club into a Wal-Mart-sized 12,000-square-foot den of girls, girls, girls!

Signatures drew a lot of negative attention, largely due to the involvement of Lyle Goodman, a native New Yorker with ties to the infamous Atlanta Gold Club, a Southern strip joint that federal prosecutors alleged was a money-making operation for the mob. Goodman took a guilty plea for failing to report a crime in connection with the case, and landed here in Philly.

The subject of a PW cover story in July, Goodman says the application for an extension of the liquor license was withdrawn to "clear the way," explaining, "we're selling; we're out."

Signatures' owner is Pat DeMone, a longtime Philadelphia-area businessman who spent decades running strip clubs in the building Signatures now occupies. Goodman, whose New York accent could cut glass, came aboard as a consultant. As reported in July, DeMone is now attempting to sell his business to Mike Rose and Jerry Reid, partners in a chain of strip clubs down south.

"The application for an extension," says Goodman, "was really holding things up. So with that off the table, now we can just concentrate on getting the license transferred to Mike Rose and Jerry Reid."

The transfer, like most everything else about the club, is being opposed by the East of Broad Improvement Association (EBA). No date has yet been set for the transfer hearing, but East of Broad recently won another fight in its battle against the club.

In July the Liquor Control Board decided not to renew Signatures' amusement license--a death blow, seemingly, for a strip club, which would prevent it from combining alcohol sales and dancing girls. Signatures filed an appeal and is allowed to continue operating until its appeal is heard. But East of Broad filed a petition to intervene, and won, meaning that when the strip club makes its argument in Common Pleas Court, it'll have to contend not only with a lawyer from the LCB but with arguments from one of the city's most prominent neighborhood groups.

"It's irrelevant," says Goodman. "It doesn't matter."

"We're pleased to have a seat at the table," counters Ruthanne Madway, EBA's executive director. "The community has been a big part of discussions on the best use of that property since the mid-1990s. And we believe the overall process, finally, is headed in the right direction. The LCB and the city are both being responsive to genuine community concerns about a use that is both inappropriate at this location and detrimental to the economic revitalization of the community."

Goodman, though, cautions that even seeing their amusement license revoked won't end the fun. "We can offer nude entertainment and run a BYOB establishment," says Goodman. "You tell me: Would an all-male, all-nude dancing operation be popular here in a gay neighborhood?"

Goodman may still be talking smack, but he also claims he's about to leave Philadelphia, and even offers a departure date: Fri., Oct. 22. "I'm done," he says. "I'm leaving here. I love this city--the way they treat the hardworking people like [fired Phillies manager] Larry Bowa. He was the epitome of what they don't want here--a man who wants change, who wants to turn things around, and needs a little time to do it. I guess he didn't pay the politicians off, so he couldn't stay."

Before hanging up, Goodman asks to play a Philadelphia word-association game. "You name somebody or something, and I'll tell you my first reaction," he says.

Okay. Smarty Jones.

"Ah," says Goodman. "Glue!"