Once considered the queen of NYC nightlife, Sacco's empire is considerably smaller these days. Her New York hotspot Bungalow 8 was shuttered in late 2009 and her Chelsea restaurant, Bette, closed its doors in June 2008. However, in 2012, she plotted her comeback with her Chelsea-located No. 8.

Sacco grew up in New Jersey, the youngest of eight kids and the daughter of a trucker. She went on to attend culinary school before snagging a front-of-the-house gig at David Bouley's restaurant Bouley, later taking jobs at Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Vong, Peter Glazier's Monkey Bar, and the club System. In 1997, thanks to a little help by Yvonne Force Villareal, Sacco rounded up the $1.2 million she needed to open a venue of her own, and Lot 61 debuted a year later in an art-filled former truck garage in Chelsea. She followed with the tropically-themed Bungalow 8 in 2000. Bette, which she named in honor of her mother, opened in 2005. All three of Sacco's NYC venues have since closed: Lot 61 went out in early 2006; Bette closed in 2008; and Bungalow 8 was shuttered in the fall of 2009. The most notable of the three, Bungalow 8, did have quite a run, though. For several years, it was one of the hardest spots in town to get into—the club's notoriously impenetrable velvet rope was guarded by doorman/actor Armin Amiri—and it had a very popular following with celebrities, socialites, and other scenemakers.

Sacco has had a hand in several other projects in recent years. She published her first book, Cocktails, signed on as "lifestyle director" of real estate/diamond magnate Lev Leviev's Ann Street condo development District, and signed on as "creative director" of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. However, the New York nightlife scene lured her back, but not without its share of difficulties. Hoping to relaunch Bungalow 8, a local Community Board shuttered her ability to get a liquor license. Thus, with a slight name change, Sacco opened No. 8, a softer version of the once electric Bungalow 8 scene. [Image via Getty]