Bill Cosby began his career in comedy working at the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village. The gaslight was a favorite hangout of Andy Warhol.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gaslight_Cafe
The audience often included Andy Warhol, Marlene Dietrich and the always eccentric Salvador Dali, his wife, his mistress and his pet ocelot that had its own chair at the table. Audience members snapped their fingers instead of applauding and it had something to do with the ceiling. Weeks later, finger snapping became an international craze, symbolizing being “hip” and “cool.”
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