On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Riots began in response to an early morning police raid at the Stonewall Inn located in the Greenwich Village of Manhattan, New York City.

The Stonewall Inn was owned by the Genovese crime family. Three members of the Mafia paid $3,500 to make the Inn a gay bar. Weekly, police would collect payoff envelopes, which were known as gayola.

Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are credited for having started this historical event. Another key figure was, Storme Delarverie who was known as the butch lesbian that threw the first punch at the police during the Stonewall Riots.