EDM Identity
  • News
  • Music
    • Exclusive Mixes
    • Playlists
  • Events
  • Culture
  • Interviews
  • Shop
No Result
View All Result
EDM Identity
  • News
  • Music
    • Exclusive Mixes
    • Playlists
  • Events
  • Culture
  • Interviews
  • Shop
No Result
View All Result
EDM Identity
No Result
View All Result

David Mancuso’s Nephew Accuses Former The Loft Board Members of Theft, Misconduct

John Cameron by John Cameron
June 3, 2024
in News

The Loft Founder David Mancuso’s nephew, Richard Horstman II, has spoken out about an internal power struggle following the party organizer’s passing.


The late David Mancuso is a beloved for how his NYC The Loft parties shaped disco culture and, by extension, dance music as a whole. In the years after his passing, however, the stewards of the seminal event brand have reportedly engaged in behavior that his nephew and estate administrator, Richard Horstman II, says amounts to theft and other financial misconduct.

Horstman II’s accusations are detailed in a bombshell Resident Advisor report. Published days before the MoMa exhibit Martin Beck: Last Night, which presented 1984 film recordings of Mancuso DJing, it cites internally reviewed bank documents and emails to substantiate its claims.

Chief among them is the allegation that, after Mancuso’s 2016 passing, former The Loft Party LLC board members Luis Vargas, Edowa Shimizu, Sandy Moon, Ernesto Green and Douglas Sherman formed a new company, The Loft Party NYC LLC and then depleted the former entity’s bank accounts. This followed an email in which Vargas, Shimizu, Moon, Green, and Douglas reportedly wrote that they “will no longer involve [Horstman II] and [Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy] in organising future Loft parties.”

“In my opinion, this was deceptive, aggressive, created division within the community and isn’t in keeping with uncle David’s wishes,” Horstman II wrote in a statement to RA. He went on to say that they attempted to resolve the dispute privately before bringing it to MoMa’s attention.

In addition to their pioneering role in early dance music and immersive event decor, David Mancuso’s The Loft parties offered a collectivist atmosphere in which all participants were treated equally. This would remain a key ingredient in the culture as disco gave way to house music, which then opened the door for styles like techno, jungle, and eventually dubstep to proliferate.


ShareTweetShareShare
John Cameron

John Cameron

I'm a recovering techno elitist and the managing editor of EDM Identity. I try to write articles that give the context I wished I had when I started getting more into dance music two decades ago.

MORE ON EDMIDENTITY

Envision Festival 2018
News

Envision Festival’s Vow to Improve “A Couple Years Too Late,” Say Fans

by John Cameron
August 15, 2025
Above & Beyond
News

Above & Beyond Partners with the Belong Center to Build Community on Tour

by Miguel Florencio
August 15, 2025
A Man Who Attended Elements Festival has Passed Away
News

A Man Who Attended Elements Festival has Passed Away

by John Cameron
August 13, 2025
Ray Volpe
News

Ray Volpe Announces Supporting Tour for Debut LP, ‘FOREVER, VOLPETRON’

by Carolina Quijano
August 13, 2025
Deorro & Friends Charity Livestream 2025
News

Deorro Raises Over $10,000 for Immigrants in Need During Charity Livestream

by Grant Gilmore
August 13, 2025
Next Post
infrasound 2024 set times

Infrasound Festival 2024 Set Times and Essential Information

FOLLOW US

Facebook Instagram TikTok Twitter Soundcloud Youtube
EDM Identity

© 2025 All Rights Reserved

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Team
  • Privacy
  • Accessibility

Cleantalk Pixel
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Music
  • Events
  • Culture
  • Festival Tips
  • Interviews
  • Shop

© 2025 All Rights Reserved

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.