ATLANTA — Atlanta is mourning the loss of James L. Virgil, known as “Mr. V,” a businessman and longtime figure in the city’s entertainment, nightlife and hospitality communities.
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Mayor Andre Dickens issued a statement remembering Virgil as an “icon in Atlanta’s entertainment and nightlife community.”
Virgil owned the legendary Mr. V’s Figure 8 nightclub in the 1970s and 1980s.
In more recent years, he operated Mr. V’s Restaurant Equipment & Store Fixtures in Downtown Atlanta, providing local businesses with restaurant equipment and supplies.
Atlanta City Council Post 1 At-Large Councilmember Michael Julian Bond also remembered Virgil as an Atlanta icon, visionary entrepreneur and mentor.
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Bond said Mr. V’s was once a place “everyone wanted to experience,” comparing its prominence in Atlanta to Studio 54 in New York.
Virgil was also associated with V’s II and V’s on Peachtree, where Bond said celebrities, politicians, business leaders and others gathered.
Bond described Virgil as a good-natured and generous person whose influence extended beyond his businesses.
“He will truly be missed,” Bond said.
Dickens offered his condolences to Virgil’s family, saying his thoughts and prayers are with them during this time.
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