83
Quatrefoils and Gothic arches
screen leaded glass in this
Venetian style window, left.
The capitals are topped by
representations of Native
American faces. Photo by
Susan De Vries.
knock on his door. It was a detective, there to arrest him
for embezzling from his company. Wagner, still in his
underwear, excused himself by saying he was going to the
bathroom to get dressed. He crawled out onto a ledge and
dove, sailing past guests in eveningwear dining below. He
hit the ground so hard he broke the pavement. The suicide
was his second attempt. Only days before, a maid at the
club woke him up because she smelled gas in his room.
Fortunately, nothing like that happened again.
Despite the occasional scandal, the club remained popular.
But even with membership at 701 in 1949, to stay open
the Montauk had to change its rules of membership, its
dues policies, and the amenities of the club. As Brooklyn
moved from the Gilded Age through the Jazz Age and the
Space Age, clubs like the Montauk became quaint reminders
of the past.
The club survived wars, the Depression and Prohibition,
no doubt with more than one secret liquor stash, but was
almost done in by the post-World War II exodus to the
suburbs. The club’s membership dwindled and it was
forced to close most days and open only for lunch and
special events.
But as Park Slope redeveloped as one of the most popular
and exclusive neighborhoods in a revitalized Brooklyn, interest
in the club grew. A new generation of managers and
members made great changes. To subsidize the club, the
basement and top two floors were sold as condominiums.
The former ladies’ entrance is now the private entrance for
those fortunate to live in such splendid surroundings.
The Montauk Club now occupies the ground and second
floor of the building. It is a popular venue for weddings,
parties and meetings. As in the days of old, club members
can retreat there and luxuriate in Venetian Victorian
splendor, albeit slightly run down and comfortable, like
any good club. Only now everyone is welcome as a member,
and all can use the front door.