Ian Schrager - Early Years

Early Years

Schrager grew up in a Jewish family in Brooklyn. His father Louis owned a factory in Long Branch, New Jersey. which manufactured women’s coats and died when Schrager was 19. His mother Blanche died when he was 23. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Syracuse University in 1968 and a Juris Doctorate from St. John's University School of Law in 1971. In December 1975, after practicing law for three years, Schrager and his close friend Steve Rubell opened Enchanted Garden, a disco in Douglaston, Queens. Within 6 months, they were looking to open a night club in Manhattan. They signed the lease for Studio 54 in January 1977 and 6 weeks later it opened.