Behind an East Hamptons nightclub lease

Newly obtained court documents in the East Hampton tenant-landlord kerfuffle at popular nightclub Lily Pond give a backstage pass to the politics of East End leases, according to Eater, which uncovered the papers. The 2008 three-year deal between Lily Pond owners Michael Satsky and Brian Gefter, and landlord Frank Cilione, showed that Cilione collected 65 percent of the club’s profits and 20 percent of the gross alcohol sales, paying for renovations and capital improvements in exchange. The recent unpleasantness between tenant and landlord was not the result of this deal, but rather Cilione’s alleged attempt to box out Satsky and Gefter in exchange for a more lucrative deal, before the Lily Pond operators’ lease was up. The club operators have filed an injunction, while the landlord continues its eviction effort.