Westbury club promoter says now is time to invest

John Smythe would seem to have learned a thing or two about the entertainment business, having worked in it for the last four decades.

Smythe once managed the British pop singer Arnold George Dorsey, aka Engelbert Humperdinck. Smythe also operated the old Colonie Hill catering complex in Hauppauge and was also once manager of the Garden City Hotel.

So when Smythe decided this was the time, despite the still weak economy, to invest in refurbishing his nightclub, Glo, in Westbury, observers in the entertainment industry on the Island did not blink an eye. The time to invest, Smythe said, is when the economy is down.

He spent about $400,000 on lighting equipment and another $250,000 on sound equipment. In all, Smythe said, he put in about $1 million into the club he has owned since 1982, when it was called Mirage. Singer Chris Brown is scheduled to make an appearance next week.

Smythe says the business is not what it used to be. But, he said, "We've got to keep coming up with shows" and investing in the 12,000-square-foot club.

For "Jersey Shore" fans, Saturday might be a good day to check out Glo. Will Castro of Unique Autosports will present two Bentley cars his company customized - for $50,000 each - to Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino," a star of the risqué reality show.