 During World War II it became known as the nightclub La <unk> . The interior of the club was made to simulate a combat dugout complete with sandbags . The club 's chandeliers were made out of various types of empty liquor bottles with candles in their necks for light . The dance floor was crowded during wartime , but it later declined in popularity . Laurie Ross was in charge of the Ritz Bar and Grill for many years . The bar , known to its regulars as " Laurie 's Bar " , closed when Ross retired in 1976 . By the 1970s the basement rooms were closed to the public . 
