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Copacabana: As Of Yesterday, Just One

Another piece of old New York closed its doors this weekend. The Copacabana, a dance club founded in 1941, is a casualty of subway expansion to the West Side. Good news for Rio de Janeiro (whose chic Copacabana district inspired the name), but bad news for fans of Latin music and disco nostalgics.

The nightclub inspired the Barry Manilow song of the same name, and is thought to be the model for The Tropicana, the club Desi Arnaz runs in "I Love Lucy." It's also the site of a real-life scuffle between Yankees (including Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra) and patrons angry at performer Sammy Davis Jr.

The surviving district down in Rio still serves as the playground for stars staying at the majestic hotels along the city's shore (including the Copacabana Palace). The real Copacobana will host one of the eight Live Earth concerts on July 7. And unlike the club, it can't be packed up and moved to the Bronx or Brooklyn, as the bar's owners have suggested may happen.

[Photo Credit: Luisito Rosario]