Chuck Cicirello, aka "Chuck Balistreri," was a prominent figure in Milwaukee gay history. Mentored by cousin Jimmy Zingale, Cicirello opened the Stud Club in the Royal Hotel in October 1971. The Stud Club was a groundbreaking nightclub known for racially mixed crowds, motorcycle meet-ups, and the first gay go-go boys in town. Customers remember a unique gimmick: Polaroids were taken of customers, enlargened, and embedded under plexiglass on the dancefloor. After six months of sparring with owners Sam Mazur and Michelle, Cicirello left to open Club Neptune. The Royal Hotel Bar reopened as "Michelle's Club 546."