Michael Pasqualini has been spinning tunes as a DJ since he was 11, had success in modeling and acting gigs, appeared in “All My Children” and “Sex In The City” and is now one of the hottest celebrity restaurant owners from Miami to Connecticut. Now in his twenties he has proven himself as owner and manger of the Onda Lounge in South Beach, he set the scene that eventually hosted birthday parties for Janet Jackson and went on to host Tara Reid’s kickoff party for Ocean Drive Magazine. His guests have included Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton, Usher, Bow Wow, Shaquille O’Neal, Quincy Jones, Simon Rex, Ludacris, and Kanye West.
Between his modeling, acting, and entertainment experience, Michael is now a top host to celebrities who dine at his restaurants. These personal experiences as owner/manager have been featured in the New York Times, Nightlife, Ocean Drive, NY Post Page Six, The Star, Gotham, The Miami Herald, ShowTime South Beach and the list goes on.
Celebrities have followed him and now it’s to Stamford, Connecticut.The Market Restaurant, a new venture with Pattie Mezzancello located in downtown Stamford, Conneticut features a menu that is “New American with an Italian flare”. Executive Chef, Al D’Onofrio’s exciting menu features the freshest flavors availible thus the namesake: “the market”. The seasonal fare is served in an energetic room with an open kitchen, exposed brick walls, and unique finishes. Everyone can be part of a larger culinary scene that brings it’s own unique ambience attracting everyone from young energetic personalities to high profile celebrities. Celebrity patrons include: Ron Howard, Lee Mazilli, Clive Davis, Gene Wilder, Brendan Fraser, and the band Smash Mouth just to name a few. The Market was the recent winner of “Best Restaurant” by the Fairfield Weekly.
Michael owns Sound Express, one of New York’s most prominent party production companies, so he knows how to set the musical tone. Still a teen DJ in his heart, he says, “I like to provide what people want-especially when it comes to music. It’s all about the songs that take you back to a happy moment in your life.”
Michael recently phoned in to give TEN the inside scoop on what he loves to do and why he’s so successful at it.
The Entertainment Nexus- Hi Michael, how are you this morning?
Michael Pasqualini- I’m doing great!
TEN- You’re a very busy man.
MP- Sometimes it’s tiring being all over the place. (Laughs) It’s a lot of work and a lot of fun. After a while…you get run down. Being in Miami for almost five years is tough and then to come back in New York again and I’m jumping around and now I’m looking to do something in Vegas. It’s just nonstop I guess…the lifestyle. You just have to make the best of it I guess that’s why I’m here.
TEN- But you’re young though…
MP- I know! (Laughs) I don’t know how old you are but after a while, things definitely catch up to you ya know?
TEN- I’m 43 and I don’t rebound like I used to. (Laughs)
MP- I know…it’s tough. The scary thing is, once I turned 29 I felt like my body is shot and I was like “I don’t wanna waste days in the nightclub business. The last thing I want to do is sleep my day away.” Nowadays I wake up, I stay focused and I continue the day. I don’t like sleeping till two or three o’clock in the afternoon. That’s not me. That’s what made it tough because some nights you’re entertaining till two or three o’clock in the morning and the next thing you know its like; “I want to be up by 9:00 and go to the gym and kinda refresh ya know.” But that’s my lifestyle.
TEN- Tell me about when you started to DJ at an early age.
MP- I started DJ-ing when I was 11 or twelve years old. I wanted to get involved in the business but I was still too young at the time to go out and do parties so it was more of doing parties just to entertain people. I guess I always had it in me to be around people and entertain. I was using my brother’s DJ equipment because he was involved in it as well and from there it kinda expanded and the next thing you know…I was 15 or 16 years old and doing a bunch of weddings and parties like that. I just kinda got into the whole thing about being around people and going out. My company went from me and one other person to about 45 people on the weekends. But, it’s like everything else you know…it’s overwhelming. It’s great but then you get to a certain point where people wanted me to be at every party because I did a lot more of the emceeing part instead of the DJ part. I was into getting everybody up and dancing and having a good time…that’s what I was all about. When people had seen me work a party they wanted me to be at their party which was impossible to be in two places at once. But, I’ve always had good people working for me and I had done that until about three years ago and then I kinda sat back and passed it on to my other brother. It was just too much between that and having a nightclub in Florida. It’s kinda impossible to run two businesses ya know. When you have a nightclub business you need to focus a lot of your attention into that. I did the DJ thing for about 16 years.
TEN- What types of people did you cater to with your music?
MP- Anywhere from bar mitzvahs to weddings. I specialized in weddings and I was one of the top companies in the tri-state area through New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. I did a lot of weddings, somewhere between 55 and 65 a year. I had 15 or 16 accounts with different hotels that I had gotten through networking and once they saw me they kept booking me too, which helped. That’s what actually helped me put my money together and open up my nightclub in South Beach.
TEN- Was your nightclub pretty much modern dance music?
MP- It was more of a mix…more of a retro ‘80s/90s, hip-hop, depending on the night that I had there. A lot of times I had different parties going on and different events so whoever was coming in and booked the place, they would bring in more like dance music in the beginning and then my last couple of years it was more towards hip-hop. I started catering to a lot of the ball players and athletes who would come into Miami. They were more into the R&B and hip-hop. I kinda just went with the flow and what was hip down there. When I first got to Miami, it was more of a dance/techno music scene then it kinda changed very quickly into more of a retro ‘80s/90s today kind of music. It was a great run and it was a big change from living in New York. Just one day, I decided to pick up and go to Miami and open up the nightclub. It’s very difficult to open up a business as it is. Just to pick up and go to another state without knowing anybody, is very difficult. (Laughs) You have your ups and downs and that has helped me become a better business person. As long as you learn from what you do right and what you do wrong and you figure out what works. I was pretty blessed…thank God, I landed my first big celebrity party and it was with Janet Jackson. When I landed Janet, it just kinda snowballed from there because everyone that came into my place…loved the place. At that time in South Beach, there wasn’t too many “loungey type places” that felt like when you walked into your living room. I had beautiful top-of-the-line lighting and nice comfortable couches. It just felt like you were going to a house party. A lot of people took to the concept because at that time there were only really big nightclubs going on down there. That’s what I think helped my place when I first opened up because people really enjoyed the smaller size. It was still 4000 sq. ft. but compared to the other nightclubs there, they were 20,000 square feet. It’s a big difference. Once the party with Janet kicked off, I probably had some of the biggest stars in the world at my place that night and once they came in and saw the place, I started networking with them and that’s how I kinda established myself. Shaquille O'Neal came in and then I started doing his parties and like I said it’s all who you know. Once you get them in and they like you, you just build a relationship. And, it’s great for press. You know that and I know that. It came to the point where I didn’t care about the press anymore because it ended up being more like friends just calling up saying; “We’re coming to do a party!” You don’t want to throw them under the bus when you’re having this person here and that person there. In this business, a lot of people hire celebrities to come in and host a party and they pay them. That’s how they get their press. I don’t believe in paying people if they want to come to my place. I’m not going to put any money out for any celebrity whoever they are.
Like I said earlier, you get tired and you get burned out of the business and I took a year off. I came back up here to New York and I opened up my restaurant. It’s been a crazy, but fun ride. We’re looking at Billy Joel hosting my two-year anniversary up here. He’s a big-name to have to host my party. He comes in and he enjoys the food and the restaurant. So that’s kinda where I am right now.
TEN- How nervous were you doing the party for Janet?
MP- To be honest, I felt comfortable and she was a great person. A lot of times when a celebrity books a place, they don’t show up and they don’t do anything. They just have people do everything for them. But she came in and she did the whole party herself. We started at 10 o’clock in the morning and she was dragging me around town all day with her. It was kinda cool but weird. She was like; “C’mon, let’s go!” and I didn’t know her from a hole in the wall and were going around shopping. I wasn’t nervous at all because I’m not really into the “celebrity thing.” I wasn’t star struck but when you think about it…it was definitely pretty big. (Laughs) So from 10 o’clock in the morning on, I was with her the whole day and all night until the party began. Everything went pretty smooth and I was more nervous about everything just falling into line and making sure that everything was set because once I saw the guest list, I really got nervous because I knew the industry. I wanted to make sure that everything was in tip top shape.
TEN- Were there a lot of big-name attendees?
MP- Yeah Janet was there. We had Russell Simmons, Paris Hilton, Josh Pickett from the New York Yankees; Shaquille O'Neal was there so there were a lot of high-profile people. Joe Francis from “Girls Gone Wild” was there too. I just wanted to make sure everything went smooth for everybody and obviously it did because a couple of weeks later Jermaine Jackson came back with his family. Shaq came back and then he was there all of the time. It was really big at the moment because that is when he just got traded to the Miami Heat so everybody was kinda stocking him and the first place he came to was my place! That’s pretty big for somebody who just came to Miami and opened up a nightclub. (Laughs) Then there was also a lot of jealousy because people heard that there was this guy from New York and who does this guy think he is?
TEN- Then all of a sudden these big-name people are showing up at your place and you’re not paying them to show up. They’re calling you up saying “Hey, I wanna come hang out at your place!”
MP- Yes exactly! (Laughs) It was definitely something that you’ll never forget the rest of your life. It was exciting and I think that’s what keeps me involved and I want to continue to stay in the business. It’s rewarding when people sit back and enjoy what you’re putting out. That’s what’s really important to me. I learn from any mistakes that I’ve made in the past, in any business that I do and I just try to fix that and bring it into whatever I’m doing now. It was a lot of fun and definitely no regrets in doing it. You have to be kind of “ballsy” to pick up and do that anyway…ya know? Just to go to another state and invest money into a space and build it up and design it and do all that work.
TEN- Who had the wildest parties?
MP- I would have to say that one (Janet) because it was just a private party and you had all of the biggest stars in the industry on my dance floor at one time like; Usher, Naomi Campbell, like I said Paris Hilton. They just partied from nine o’clock at night until five o’clock the next morning. But then I had some hip-hop guys that were coming in too. I had Usher, he hosted a party there. It’s a different clientele; the rappers get more into their partying than the “A list” celebrities. The “A list” celebrities like Paris Hilton and even when I had Tara Reid they want everything for nothing. That does not work with me. But when the ballplayers and the rappers come in like Puffy, they just drink champagne all night long. When they buy the place out, they’re taking the champagne and spraying it all up in the air but… at the end of the day when they’re paying the bill… (Laughs)
TEN- What made you decide to transition from the nightclub into doing the restaurant?
MP- I’d taken the year off because I was totally burned-out and needed to be left alone and a friend of mine had invested into the restaurant where I am now. She told me that she needed a lot of help and asked if I could help her out. I was behind the scenes like six months helping her out and I knew the business so I was like: “Let me just get involved with you” and I invested with her into the place. I helped her bill out whatever needed to be billed out and then I started to bring in my clientele. It kinda takes your place to the next level. It’s a very upscale restaurant and we get a lot of high-profile people from the area because we are around Greenwich, CT. A lot of movie producers and people like that call this their second home because they are from Los Angeles and New York. A lot of people that used to come and visit me are from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Most of the time when they were throwing parties, they were traveling and Miami was the place to be. Then I jumped on board with Pattie (Mezzancello) and we opened up this place and we have been very fortunate, thank God because of such a risky business…the restaurant business.
TEN- You’re restaurant has received numerous awards too.
MP- Yes and which it’s an honor too. We have just won “Best Overall Restaurant in all of Fairfield” which is huge. We just won “2009 Wine Spectator Excellence Award” which is huge because of our wine list. To keep winning those kinds of awards is great, especially this time of year. There are so many places going out of business due to the economy and everything else. Considering it’s not cheap (pricing) at all and to get the prices that we get…I guess everyone needs to eat. (Laughs) But, what’s great about our place is that when you come in, you never know who you’re going to be sitting next to and a lot of people are so intrigued by that. Just the other day, Donna Summer and all of her singers were in there. We have had Wesley Snipes and we’ve had Gene Wilder too. Ron Howard, who is a big producer…he’s in there and we get all the ballplayers from the Nicks and the Yankees come in there. Every time that you’re sitting down to eat, you never know when you turn around and see who you’re eating next to. It’s almost like a “South Beach thing” because some of the high-end restaurants in South Beach kinda work like that. People enjoy that.
TEN- It’s one thing to have a banging nightclub going on, but when you have a successful restaurant and celebrities show up and you’re getting awards, that’s a whole different ballgame.
MP- Exactly, but not to sound crazy, the restaurant is a more “laid back” type crowd with champagne and a lot of wine. You can have a normal conversation and be out by 11 or 12 o’clock compared to the South Beach nightclub scene. And we make our money thank God! Those days at 5 o’clock in the morning and trying to trust somebody who’s not drunk is a little difficult, ya know what I mean? (Laughs) Being back up here, at least it’s a lot of family and friends who I bring on board to help me out as much as possible. I try to do the right thing by people and sometimes you get burned and sometimes you just make the right move. Like I said, being in the entertainment world…its fun, it’s difficult, it’s stressful but it all makes up for it when you get the good people that you surround yourself with and you get a lot of events going on and people keep talking about your place and what you’ve built.
TEN- You were on “All My Children” at one time weren’t you?
MP- Yeah, I did some small parts, nothing too crazy. I had a couple of speaking lines.
TEN- What about “Sex In The City?”
MP- That was just all background and they kept using me for background work, again nothing crazy. I’m not the type of guy that can do “extra work” ya know? There are just too many hours of not speaking.
TEN- You have to have some lines and screen time.
MP- Yeah really…ya know what I mean?
TEN- How did you meet Victoria Talbot and how has she helped your career?
MP- Through a friend of mine who called me up and told me that she had a publicist who was interested in talking with me and meeting me. At that time, I had a big PR company down in South Beach so I really didn’t need Victoria at the time. I told her that I would keep her in mind incase I came up to New York. My big plan was to do something in New York City. I wanted to open up something in New York City. When I took a year off and came up here, I took her to lunch and I told her what I wanted to do and that we have to come up with a strategy for PR for my new place. The deal in New York City fell through but I was looking at Vegas to do something in that is still pending right now too. I can’t really speak about it until I sign a contract. When I met Victoria, I wanted her to do some work with me up here. Everything that she said that she would do for me…she has came through…which is nice. Some people just talk so much and they never back it up and I cannot stand that. There are some people that just follow through and make things happen and she makes things happen! I wanted her to work with my restaurant but I didn’t want to blow it up right away at first because I wanted to get to know the territory. The thing about this business is that a lot of people lie. There in South Beach, everyone lied and they hired people to come to there place which is kind of a “smart marketing strategy” if you think about it. If you like Jessica Simpson, you pay $100,000 and you get her to your place and you take a picture with her and say that she’s partying at your place. That’s what a lot of these big end restaurants and nightclubs do in Florida. It’s not a bad marketing strategy…ya know?
TEN- But you’re not really hanging out with her though…
MP- Yeah exactly…that’s like me calling you and paying you to come to my place because you’re with People Magazine or something. It’s smart but at the end of the day…they’re not there because they want to be there and that’s the difference. That’s one thing about my place that I can say is that when people walked into my place in Miami, they wanted to be there.
TEN- It’s time to switch gears on you. Tell me something disturbing about yourself that you’ve never revealed before.
MP- That’s a good question. Something disturbing…can I get back to you on that one? (Laughs) I have to think about that one before I open my mouth. (Laughs) That’s a good question to catch somebody off guard with. That’s something that after you answer, you say: “Why did I say that?!” (Laughs)
I want to thank Michael for taking the time to share in his very successful life and Victoria Talbot for again setting up another interview from her amazing list of clientele. For more information on Michael and Victoria please visit www.allabouthype.com and to make reservations or more information about Market Restaurant please visit www.marketstamford.com