By Charles Baran 

DJ-ing is a rarefied calling. Not many can do it and those that can require exceptional talent to stand out. A great DJ knows how to read the room, mix on the fly, and blend the sounds of today with those of the 80’s and 90’s. It’s a gift. And DJ Ronnie Minutella, the resident DJ at NO Manors, Wilton Manors’ latest addition to the club scene, has it in abundance. I recently sat down with Ronnie over lunch at Tee Jay Thai to discuss his impressive career and find out how he does it.

Charles Baran: So, Ronnie, tell me about yourself. Where are you from?

Ronnie Minutella: I grew up in Rockland County, New York, and moved to the city in the early 80’s. I started going to the big gay clubs; Twilo, Palladium, and the Roxy, and was lucky enough to experience the best DJs working at the time; Frankie Knuckles, Peter Rauhofer and Junior Vasquez. On top of that, I got to see Madonna, Cher, Whitney Houston, Jennifer Lopez and Deborah Cox come to these clubs and perform.

Charles Baran: How soon after coming to the city did you start DJ-ing?

Ronnie Minutella: Not right away. When I first came to the city, with a BS in Accounting and an MBA in Finance, I worked for the top magazine publishing companies. I was responsible for their budgets, long-range business plans, mergers and acquisitions, and startups. In fact, I helped launch George magazine in 1995.  As VP and General Manager, I worked directly with JFK Jr. It was a horrible day when we got the news that his plane had gone down near Martha’s Vineyard. It was the early 90’s when I started to DJ.

Charles Baran: Tell us about that.

Ronnie Minutella: All my life I had a passion for music, but it wasn’t until I was introduced to DJ Billy Carroll that my life took a turn. I began carrying his record bags to gigs and got to hang out with him in the DJ booth. Occasionally he’d let me spin a few tracks. It was such a rush. I owe my entire DJ career to Billy. He’s still my best friend and mentor. He got me into the number one DJ record pool where every Friday at lunch time I’d go and pick up the latest vinyl and pre-releases from all the major record companies. He also got me my first DJ gig at Champs.

Charles Baran: Did you quit your day job?

Ronnie Minutella: No! I was working from 8am to 8pm five days a week, then on Fridays I run home, grab my records, and race to Champs where, thanks to Billy, I had a Friday night residency. Things started to happen for me. I received some nice press in HX and Next Magazines and started to DJ at other clubs like Splash. I felt like I had just won the lottery.

Charles Baran: I remember you from the 90’s out in Fire Island. You were the star DJ at the Pavilion.

Ronnie Minutella: And I still had my full-time finance job in publishing! After my Friday night gig at Champs, I’d jump on the seaplane on Saturday morning, DJ Saturday night, then DJ at the Blue Whale for Tea Dance on Sunday and back at work on Monday morning. I was juggling two careers and living my best life ever.

Charles Baran: You took a break from DJ-ing right?

Ronnie Minutella: Yes. In the early 2000’s I made the tough decision to devote all my time and energy to my corporate career. I donated over 5,000 pieces of vinyl to Housing Works. But I still continued to follow my passion for music and during that time I learned how to DJ digitally. I moved to Fort Lauderdale in 2021 as New York had dramatically changed and I wanted a fresh start in a warm climate. I knew my last chapter hadn’t been written yet. I was fortunate to secure a number of local pool parties and I DJ’d for FLoatarama, an amazing organization that I continue to be involved in.  I love giving back to the gay community and welcome any opportunities from other organizations where I can donate my services and support their causes. In September, I was chosen to be the resident DJ at NO Manors. It’s a great place and fills a niche that was not being served, a bar/lounge with a NYC underground vibe and music that’s not being played at the other venues.

Charles Baran: You are quite the inspiration!

Ronnie Minutella: I am grateful. A former publishing work colleague recently reached out to me to say how proud he was of me. He publishes a newsletter called ROAR.  R – reimagine yourself, O – own who you are, A – act on what’s next, R – reassess your relationships. I believe the best is yet to come!

Charles Baran: Really quick, what are your three favorite dance tunes?

Ronnie Minutella: OK. Make the World Go Round – Band B (Deep Dish Mix), This Time – Chante Moore (The Bomb Mix), and Things Just Ain’t the Same – Deborah Cox (Hex Hector Mix).