Life's a Beach

Tony Vitale is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his critically acclaimed film Kiss Me, Guido. Vitale was born in the Bronx and grew up in a a predominately African-American/Hispanic neighborhood. After his father's death in 1978, Vitale began journaling... about life in the Bronx. Finding sanctuary in music, Vitale revered the colorblind music of local DJ and hip-hop legend, Afrika Bambaatta, then establishing himself as a DJ while attending Christopher Columbus High School and Iona College. After many trips to underground dance clubs in New York City, Vitale came to the realization that there were two very different worlds that patronized the clubs, but didn't co-mingle. "In the club scene, both communities, gay and straight, co-existed but never really talked to one another. I had friends from both communities and I thought, if both these guys could talk to each other, that could be some interesting stuff."[1] Vitale took a job at Club Med in the mid-1980s, and befriended his gay boss.
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