Lucio Nisi, founder of Milan's Plastic club, dies at 71

Lucio Nisi, co-founder of the legendary Plastic club in Milan, died on the night of November 15-16, 2019, at age 71 after a long illness. The club, opened in 1980 on Viale Umbria by his brother Lino Nisi and DJ Nicola Guiducci, became a landmark for post-punk music and New York-style club and gay-friendly culture in Italy. Through his friendship with Elio Fiorucci, Nisi brought international stars like Keith Haring, Freddie Mercury, Madonna, and Andy Warhol to the venue. Nisi, originally from Villa Castelli in Puglia, moved to Milan to run a fruit and vegetable shop in San Siro before becoming the club's owner and CEO. In 2009 he received the Ambrogino d'Oro, Milan's special recognition for those who have brought honor to the city. The club moved to Via Gargano in the Ripamonti area in 2012, renamed Killer Plastico. Sergio Tavelli, who has worked at Plastic since the mid-1990s and created the Saturday night party Club Domani in 2017, described the club as a black parallelepiped with sawdust on the floor, focusing on music and its extended family. Mayor Giuseppe Sala expressed condolences on Twitter, noting the club's role in bringing new styles and international artists to Milan.