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Rutgers Oral History Archives PodcastAuthor: Rutgers Oral History Archives
The Rutgers Oral History Archives seeks to document the life experiences of New Jersey residents and/or Rutgers University faculty, staff and alumni through its own interviews and in partnership with individuals and entities within the State and University communities carrying out similar work. ROHA seeks to make the resultant collection available to the benefit of scholars, students and others around the world through its digital online archive. Find us at https://oralhistory.rutgers.edu Language: en Genres: History Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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10. The Story of Richard Mack and Manny’s Den
Episode 10
Friday, 11 October, 2024
The Rutgers Oral History Archives (ROHA) presents “The Story of Richard Mack and Manny’s Den: How a Small Business Owner in a College Town Won LGBTQ Rights in the Years before Stonewall." Manny's Den was a bar and restaurant in New Brunswick, New Jersey that was owned and operated by Manny and Leah Mack and their son Richard. In 1965, state agents of the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) raided Manny's Den. The ABC suspended the liquor license of Manny's Den because the patrons were gay. The Macks then challenged the suspension and took the case to the New Jersey Supreme Court, where ultimately, the court's ruling in One Eleven Wines & Liquors v. the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control would legalize gay bars in the state and add momentum to the growing LGBTQ rights movement. This episode explores this important but little-known event through the oral history interviews of the Richard Mack, patrons and employees of The Den, and students at Rutgers. Through archival interviews, ROHA delves into the history of Manny's Den and the Mack Family's involvement in the landmark legal case that coalesced with the simmering gay rights movement two years before the Stonewall Rebellion. Following the legal victory in 1967, Manny's Den continued to be a hub for Rutgers students and New Brunswick community members. This episode shines a light on three generations of the Mack family owning the business and navigating changes in New Brunswick and in society. To access the full interview transcripts featured in the podcast, visit the ROHA website at oralhistory.rutgers.edu/ and search the alphabetical index or topical indexes. To access the podcast transcript, visit oralhistory.rutgers.edu/images/PDFs/T…nys%20Den.pdf Opening and closing song: Piano Sonata no. 11, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Public Domain
