The Manhole was opened by Joe Mallien and Mike Dziuba, as probably the first gay leather bar in Northeastern Wisconsin. The DJ was Mark 'Za' Mariucci, who went on to open several bars of his own, and also founded and ran 'Quest' magazine, a Wisconsin LGBT periodical for 25 years.

The Manhole is perhaps most remembered as the first home bar of the Argonauts Leather Club. They held their "annual run", (which started as "Winterfest" before moving to August), at the Manhole, approx 1976 to 1981.

After five very successful years, the bar was relocated and in June 1982 became The Body Shop, under the same ownership.

The old brick building that housed The Manhole was in an earlier life horse stables. Since torn down, the site of the Manhole has been a Chase Bank parking lot since at least the mid-1990's.

The history of LGBT bars in Northeastern Wisconsin was the subject of an excellent article in the Green Bay Press Gazette in 2020.

Dance floor, c1978-1981 (Fog on dance floor is from dry ice, not fog machine juice as is used today) (Photos courtesy Mark 'Za' Mariucci)
Neil Pollock giving sales pitch at a Tupperware party at Manhole (circa 1979) (Photos courtesy Mark 'Za' Mariucci)