People have been settling disputes, deals, wagers, etc via the coin / token toss for quite some time, dating back to the Romans.
They hired an architect to assist them in their efforts to make a massive hidden storage area, that they could then stockpile high-end wine and liquor. The result was a highly sophisticated network of revolving and camouflaged doors, and invisible chutes, that assisted in their efforts to hide or destroy evidence.
Today, one of the most interesting parts of the remaining history is a hidden cellar that is home to over 2,000 cases of wine. This stockpile includes private collections of high-society individuals like Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon. While the cellar was only accessible to the owners of 21 Club, it was conveniently located beneath their neighbor’s restaurant, further eliminating cause for suspicion.
The cellar could only be accessed by inserting an eighteen inch skewer into a specific crack of a brick wall. After the lock is deactivated, the wall can be pushed back to reveal the cellar. It’s interesting to note that, despite numerous and frequent raids, the restaurant was never caught with their stash. Chalk up another victory for covert rooms.
Now that Prohibition is over, the wine club is available for dinner
parties. It will seat up to 22 guests and comes with a tour of the
cellar. For many of us in modern generations, it’s hard to imagine
places like the secret 21 Club Wine Cellar being necessary, and it’s
even more amazing they were never caught.
Own a Piece of New York City History that was made possible by Cousins Jack Kriendler and Charlie Berns who had started the 21 Clubs Journey.