Cop Hangout's First Drag Show Draws a Little Revenge and a Big Crowd
Irish Whisper owner's outrage shifts to openness to avenging vandals.
A few hours before the first ever drag show in the Irish Whisper Bar in Greenwood Lake, a trio of older men came in the back door with a six-foot ladder. They took down the police and military badges and photos that covered a 10’ x 3’ expanse of wall, as customers at the bar took videos of the wall’s divestment and the bartender went about her business.
When Irish Whisper owner Mark Palmieri appeared, the denuded wall took him by surprise. Customer videos showed the culprits.
The one on the ladder, he said, was a retired police officer and veteran. His companions had similar backgrounds. But then cops and vets frequent the Irish Whisper, and they make up much of Palmieri’s family– his brothers, father, uncles and grandfather.
“I think it’s sad the way they think,” he said, referring to the badge vandals. “We live in a divided country. If you have an opinion that isn’t right or left, it can be trouble. Drag night doesn’t mean I’m against police officers. I love the people here. Police officers in town are good friends of mine. And I have lots of gay, yellow, brown and black friends, people of different religions, beliefs and sexual preferences. I don’t care what you do or who you do it with. As long as you’re kind, I’m kind back.”
The wall strippers had never worked in Greenwood Lake, he noted, speaking as the crowd for the drag performance gathered in the room. The audience included men and women, straight and gay.
“I can’t move,” said Palmieri. “You can’t get in or out of here. It’s awesome. The Greenwood Lake police are out there making sure no one does anything dumb. Maybe their time is done here, those people who took down the badges.”
Palmieri posted about the incident on Facebook, and social media carried the story far and wide. That Monday, he went out in his food truck to do a pro bono delivery of sandwiches to his firefighter friends in West Milford fighting brush fires, and along the way, he spread the word about the wall.
Then a friend sent Palmieri a compilation of his own Facebook posts, reminder of his many moments of generosity–free food for a fundraiser, a bike for a boy whose was stolen, a check for a cancer victim and a multitude of others. Hundreds sent photos and badges within 48 hours of the wall raid.
“Military and police officers are sending badges,” Palmieri said. “They’re not ashamed that my bar welcomes everybody. This town has lots of great people. Just a few don’t get it.”
But in a Facebook post, he left the door open a crack for the vandals.
“If any of you want to have an intelligent conversation with me about how I respect my friends, community members, customers or anyone . . . I will be available for you. Once again, gentlemen, I still respect you and will buy you a beer.”
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