Holding court in the refurbished Penthouse Night Club, co-owner Danny Filippone still remembers the dreadful early hours of November 30, 2011. I was awoken by a phone call from my general manager, he recounts. He just said one word Fire.
Racing across the Second Narrows Bridge, Filippone spotted smoke billowing from the downtown core and assumed the worst: the business his family established in 1947 was lost. Fortunately, upon arriving on the scene, he learned that the blaze had been contained. When I realized that the building had been saved, I thought to myself, I got another shot here.
Previously temporarily shuttered due to a prostitution scandal and the murder of Filippones uncle, The Penthouse used its latest forced hiatus to install a gleaming new bar and upgrade the stage where its exotic dancers have been strutting their stuff for four decades.
I would come here when I was a little boy and Id be shuffled through the kitchen. My dad would close my eyes and wheel me up the stairs, recalls the 48-year-old. He finally clued in to what the family business was when his dad had three Penthouse dancers streak at a 1973 Canucks game.
A rollicking party on April 5 featuring rockabilly music and red carpet pageantry will officially open a new chapter for The Penthouse, whose chequered history can be traced courtesy of the countless photos that line the clubs walls.
As to what the future holds, Filippone wouldnt be surprised if it turns out hes currently raising the next Penthouse owner. Ive got two boys and theyre quite excited about daddys business.
