Liberal Forum

Yes, this image was captured at Roy Cohn's 51st birthday party held at the legendary Manhattan nightclub Studio 54.The Event DetailsThe Date: The party took place on February 22, 1978.The Venue: Studio 54, where Cohn was a highly regular and prominent fixture.The Connection: Beyond just being a VIP guest, Cohn was the powerhouse attorney who represented Studio 54's co-owners, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. He notably used his immense political influence to secure the club’s highly contested liquor license when it first opened.The Atmosphere: True to Studio 54's reputation for theatricality, excess, and costume elements, Cohn was photographed wearing an elaborate, oversized feathered headdress while standing next to a man dressed as a Roman centurion.The Guest List: The high-profile event drew an eclectic crowd of New York's political elite, judges, celebrities, and nightlife figures. Notable attendees at his Studio 54 birthday celebrations over the years included artist Andy Warhol, then-Assemblyman Chuck Schumer, former New York Mayor Abraham Beame, and fashion designer Halston.If you would like, I can provide more details regarding Roy Cohn's legal representation of Studio 54 or the photographer who captured New York's 1970s nightlife scene.

The specific identity of the man dressed as the Roman centurion has never been definitively identified in the public documentation or archival records of the event.While the famous photographs taken by prominent nightlife chroniclers (such as Fred W. McDarrah) carefully documented the high-profile celebrities, politicians, and power brokers in attendance, the Roman centurion was likely one of two possibilities:A Themed Studio 54 Staff Member: The club's owners, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager, regularly hired attractive models and performers to dress in extravagant, revealing, or theatrical costumes to serve drinks, bus tables, and enhance the venue's immersive atmosphere.An Unnamed Party Guest: Because the birthday party was a costume-friendly event, he may have simply been an anonymous regular or guest leaning into the club's famous dress code.