Studio 54, and later, the Palladium, pushed the boundaries of what was considered socially acceptable at that time, with widely publicized scenes of sex and drug use in VIP spaces and dark rooms. Cocaine and amphetamines – part of the everyday cocktail in these clubs – increased the body’s temperature in concert with dancing, and in turn heated the environment. Most of the dancers’ outfits were summery, even during the winter: tank tops, bare chests, and sweaty bodies appear in every picture of Studio 54 and the Palladium. Witnesses claimed that the air-conditioning and refrigeration systems were rarely used, and maybe they were right. Less than 18 months after Studio 54’s opening, the FBI discovered garbage bags stuffed with $800,000 in cash hidden in the ceilings and the air-conditioning systems in the basement. After being convicted of tax evasion, Schrager and Rubell closed Studio 54 and spent 15 months at a minimum security prison in Montgomery, Alabama. When they were released on the morning of January 30, 1981, they had already decided upon a new business venture: the Palladium