THE VELVET ROPE MEETS THE U.S. BORDER

The headlines dubbed him "Club King" and "Mega-Club Mogul."

In the 1980's and 90's, Peter Gatien was a leading nightclub owner in
Manhattan, whose cavernous, high-decibel, high-energy spots drew packs of
young revelers and stacks of publicity.

The publicity was not always welcome. In 1996, federal prosecutors charged
that Mr. Gatien had turned two of the clubs, Limelight and the Tunnel, into
virtual drug supermarkets by authorizing and even financing drug dealing
and drug use on the premises, in order to increase patronage and
profitability. Mr. Gatien said any drug activity occurred despite his
efforts to combat it. A jury acquitted him.

But in 1999 he pleaded guilty to state tax-evasion charges. He served 60
days in jail and agreed to pay $1.88 million in back taxes and fines.

Community groups and the authorities pressed to have the two clubs closed.
They said noise and drunken and drugged patrons made Limelight's neighbors
in Chelsea miserable, and they attributed violent incidents near the Tunnel
to its patrons.

There were also economic problems, and in 2001 Limelight was sold in
bankruptcy court to an operator whose club on the site is called called
Estate. The Tunnel closed.

These days, Mr. Gatien, 50, is balancing between hopeful ups and one big
down. The upside is twofold, he said last week: working with Spike Lee's
production company to develop a fictional television series that is set in
a nightclub, and working separately on a movie script "largely based on my
life."

The downside is the effort by American immigration authorities to deport
him to his native Canada. Though he has lived in the United States for 25
years, Mr. Gatien has never sought American citizenship. The authorities
say his deportation is required because he is a noncitizen convicted of an
"aggravated felony" - tax evasion.

His lawyers dispute that his crime was an aggravated felony. One lawyer,
Benjamin Brafman, said Mr. Gatien was "desperately hopeful" that he would
not be deported. A hearing is scheduled before an immigration judge tomorrow.

Mr. Gatien said he wanted to remain in the United States because his family
was rooted here - his wife and three of his four children are American
citizens - and because "America and New York are the hub of lots of things
that interest me."

"I'm anxious," he said. "Scared. There are knots in my stomach."

Next Stop, Trade Center.

Yes, You Heard It Right.

The signs on the E trains still say its last stop in Manhattan is the World
Trade Center. Conductors often announce that you are boarding the "E to the
World Trade Center." At the terminal, "Chambers WTC" signs remain on some
platform pillars, though they have been removed from other pillars without
any replacement signs.

Sixteen months after the trade center disappeared in the terrorist attack,
are we talking here about an oversight, lethargy or a policy decision in
favor or the status quo?

"A policy decision," said a spokesman for New York City Transit, which
operates the subway.

"Until a decision is made on what that site will be, it doesn't behoove us
to change the name of the destination," the spokesman, Paul Fleuranges,
said. "For us to decide unilaterally what to call it would not be working
in partnership" with the agencies planning the redevelopment of the trade
center site.

About the signs removed from the terminal pillars: "It could have been for
maintenance or cleaning" and signifies nothing more, he said.