Empire Roller Disco

[1] The birthplace of roller disco,[2] it was the first venue to showcase jammin', a skate style invented by its attendee and employee Bill "Mr. Charisma" Butler.

[3][1] In 1941, the Swanson family opened the Empire Roller Skating Center in a former garage across the street from Ebbets Field.

Skater Gloria McCarthy, whose father owned the rink, started a "Bounce" night to showcase Charisma's new style.

[1] His "stylish tricks...made the [Empire Roller Disco] a HOT destination", as it "drew storied celebrities away from the snooty uptown clubs (Studio 54) down to the warm & accepting Brooklyn Rink".

[16][17][18][19] The City Reliquary praised the rink's cultural impact in a 2023 exhibit:[In the late '70s and early '80s,] Empire Roller Disco became a cultural epicenter, nurturing skating styles and hosting competitions that launched the careers of many skating legends such as Maurice Gatewood, Roger Green, and Pat the Cat!