Shane, Brother Shane Recalls Being Your Pilot-In-Command At Buffalo's Club 747

My Facebook friend, Steve Cichon, posted this great video of Make It Or Break It - a disco-era dance show taped at Buffalo's (Cheektowaga) Club 747. 

Shane, (left) explaining how he partied Club 747 to an eager BuffaloBloviator.

This awesome video reminded me that my friend Shane, Brother Shane has fascinating  recollections of Club 747. I asked Shane to share his memories with our BuffaloBloviator readership:


Well,

I worked with Jimmy Cosentino from nearly the beginning of my career in Western New York. Had a great

friendship with his brother, Pat and a wonderful relationship with their father Pat, Sr. This continued throughout:

the double showroom, the Playboy Club, et al.

Jimmy was extremely excited one day. He told me he had gone to an auction wherein he had purchased

the entire interiors of three 747 Jumbo Jets and of his plan to create the most spectacular Disco in the

world. Crated up in a warehouse, some of us were not sure it could be done. Jimmy envisioned it could.

The family created the space and building began. As the building progressed, Pat Cosentino shared with

me stories of the family history. It was a greatly exciting time, being there for the entire construction and

see it rise from a bare concrete floor. Jimmy was adamant the club be authentic in every detail up to and 

including the overhead luggage compartments and drop tray tables. Literally, when the work was complete

we all had a glass and just stood inside and looked at it, astounded ourselves.It truthfully was "Drop Dead

Gorgeous!" 

The club was slightly darker than most. The color was deep blue, grey and chrome. The bar itself had to

be seventy feet, gleaming, great sitting stools surrounding it all and all of it in the middle of the

"fuselage." The seating booths were almost private, as a real 747 would have felt like in late evening

flight.

I cannot remember exactly how long the project took to completion, but the last thing we did was to design

and build the cockpit and the audio - visual system.  It had to be extremely powerful to make the nightly

takeoff  seem incredibly real to passengers.This was my primary contribution.

As you came into the club, the cockpit was to the left where the true cockpit would have been.  It was about

220 degrees of clear plexiglass so that everyone who purchased a boarding pass could see everything

that went on inside, visible throughout the entire club.

Jimmy fussed a little about how much the background picture cost. His dad liked the idea and the expense

was taken to reproduce the entire control board of a 747 in a picture which filled up the entire back wall.

Truly expensive, but, again, authentic to the end.

We had speakers throughout the club and every night at 9pm, I would in soft voice call all to their seats

to prepare for takeoff. We had 10 to 12 television monitors throughout the club, tied into the cockpit

control panel and  when I informed passengers to hold on, they learned immediately that I meant it!

Then,I'd start up the engines. On every screen was a 747 Jumbo Jet sitting on the tarmac. The jets grew

in sound until everything from bar glasses  to passenger seats began vibrating and as the sound system

filled with the sound of "Higher and Higher" by the Moody Blues, the on screen jet began rolling down the 

runway.

I'll never forget Opening Night as everyone saw and felt that jet gathering speed. Some ladies were 

actually screaming by the time the 747 left the ground and began rising into the wild blue yonder.

Lots of guys got tightly held on to that night and for years to come when the Club 747 took off! This

continued as long as I was there.

As the on screen jet lifted up and into the distance, the sound vibrations of the jet lessened and

coming up through that sound was the first dance tune of the night and the place erupted again

as people headed for the gleaming dance floor. If I remember correctly, the dance floor was made

of polished, gleaming steel. 

Later on, a first class bar and cabin were built behind the cockpit and up about a ten step stairway

into a members only even more luxurious space with, I believe, about a 25-30 foot bar. This space

carried an annual membership fee.

When the Club 747 was opened, boarding passes were two dollars. The line of passengers went

all the way down the main connecting passageway and all the way into the Executive Hotel

itself. After a year or two boarding passes were dropped to a dollar. Very few passengers ever

went inside without some wait for others to leave. There was a waiting line for years.

I could be wrong, but I believe the Club 747 was the only nightclub in my life where a cover charge

remained in place for more than five years. And...everybody came to fly: Bills, Sabres, Politicos,

Media figures and countless thousands of great people who wanted to go out, have a great time

and experience something unique, unlike anything they'd ever experienced before.

I was so proud of what Jimmy, Pat Jr. and father Pat Cosentino allowed me to assist in creating.

I remember, too, that Jimmy and Pat's mother, Mrs. Cosentino created the 747 Gift Shop at the

far end of the building. All I could do there was to buy beautiful things for nice people.

Thanks for asking me to remember. Without over coloring, I can honestly state that the stories

which fill the life of Club 747 would make one hell of a television series.

Should I be asked, I'd relate some. However names would have to be changed.

Yours,

Big Brother Shane

I have an announcement to make.

We begin another day of bloviating here at blog station WBBB. Our blog can be found on your AM dial at BuffaloBloviator.com and on your FM dial at HowardGoldman.com. If your friends ask you what blog you are tuned into - tell them BuffaloBloviator. If your friends ask you why? - Tell them it's a celebration of bloviating.

You may be wondering why I am talking like a radio DJ today. Late last night, after WBBB (Buffalo Bloviator Blog) signed off, I was unwinding and thinking about Buffalo 's late night talk radio legend John Otto. John used to refer to his audience as "Your Listenership". John Otto did not talk like a DJ, but he inspired me to think of the audience in reverent terms. I think from now on I will refer to my readers as "Your Bloggership".

John Otto -Click photo for recordings of John Otto.

While I was searching Google for a picture of John Otto I came across a photo of another Buffalo radio legend - Shane Gibson, aka "Shane Brother Shane," aka "The Cosmic Cowboy."

Shane Brother Shane

Shane was huge back when I was in college. Shane sure did talk like a DJ - the ultimate DJ. But Shane was even more to us then a DJ. Shane was our philosopher. He was also the ultimate glad-handing schmoozer. I don't often hand out that accolade. I reserve it only for the greats like Shane and lounge pianist Jackie Jocko. I remember Shane even bought a club at Sheridan Drive and Colvin Boulevard, and I saw him fly on a trapeze over the bar!

Ron Moss was there, too. I wonder if he remembers that story.

One of my best friends during high school and college was my old buddy Dave Pettigrew. "Ped" was an aspiring comedian and DJ. He had a natural talent and kept us all endlessly amused. Ped and I worked a college job together and he taught me how to talk with that affected announcer voice. You know, like the voice-overs you hear on TV ads asking you to give them only $19.95 with your credit card. But wait, there's more! So Dave and I would go about our work shifts talking to each other like radio announcers. Yes people thought we were weird. I was never really good at it but Ped was the real deal. He even went on to radio school before settling into a successful career in industry. At radio school they told Ped that announcers are rarely successful if they use a contrived voice, but they taught the class that Shane was among those uniquely talented to pull that off. Ped could pull that off too.

Shane has since vanished. I have asked people in the radio industry if they know where he is but they haven't a clue. As far as I know, Shane hasn't been heard from in decades.

Perhaps the BuffaloBloviator should place the task of locating Shane on his assignment list.