It opened in 1998 and quickly became known as the venue for promoter Mario Diaz’s popular Foxy party/ talent show, where “amateur exhibitionism,” as Diaz says, was the only talent. “We’re kind of perceived as a place for misfits more than anything else,” says the Cock’s owner, who asked that his name not be used. But even after being caught up in the late-nineties quality-of-life dragnet, it managed to survive. The grimy, black-walled, low-ceilinged, graffiti’d dive on Avenue A, identified from the street only by a red neon rooster, was almost always packed with sweaty men smoking (long after the ban), dancing, ogling the go-go boys, and, until not too long ago, partaking in a rollicking backroom sex scene. Even-maybe especially-its most loyal patrons have been wondering how it lasted quite that long. Not that this should be much of a surprise. After seven notorious years, the East Village gay bar the Cock crows its last on July 10.
