Used to be the Sunday paper had all of the big news that everyone would be talking about on Monday and the next day, and the day after that. But apparently, no one reads newspapers anymore. And people on the Internet cannot be bothered to pay attention. Even when it concerns Laugh Factory founder/owner Jamie Masada, who was in New York City over the weekend to talk about having to take his former NYC partners to federal court. I already clued you in months ago that the partnership had fallen apart, and that the club at Eighth Avenue and West 42nd Street had changed names — a couple of times, actually — first to "Funny Biz" in March, and then in April to Times Square Comedy Club. It now calls itself the Times Square Arts Center. Which is a funny way to describe a former "porn palace" (as the tabloids say) known as Show World. In an interview with my former employers at the New York Daily News that ran on Sunday, Masada talked about being scared by his partners (the NYDN detailed their various criminal ties, and noted that the lawsuit’s allegations included a threat that someone would get hurt if a "certain comedian" got booked again…who was it???). In an email to me, he described "the situation (as) unfortunate and stressful." I’ll be sure to keep you all posted on further developments.
Sean L. McCarthy
Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.
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