We hear that Michael Musto, the Village Voice's longtime society columnist and the last remaining vestige of the "classic" Voice, is one of the five Voice staffers targeted for layoffs— the proposed layoffs that caused the Voice's editors to quit today.

Musto's column, La Dolce Musto— a quirky mix of nightlife gossip, party talk, gay issues, and whatever the hell else has been happening in Michael Musto's life in the past week— has been running in the Voice for almost 30 years. Even with all of the layoffs at the once-great alt-weekly, the idea of a Musto-less Voice just seems... sacrilegious.

UPDATE: Michael Musto sent us the following statement from the Voice's owners, which is vague. More details as we get them.

Subject: Editing Departures at the Village Voice
Voice Media Group today accepted the resignations of editors Will Bourne and Jessica Lustig. Following their departure, VMG will be instituting further structural and staffing changes at the publication. Contrary to published reports, those changes do not involve laying off five members of the editorial staff.
The proposed changes do include minimal staff reductions, and directly align with the long-term growth strategy of Voice Media Group. They will ultimately support the ongoing sustainability of the Village Voice.
VMG believes the editorial team at the Voice must be thoroughly committed to producing the content and products that best serve its New York audience. The editorial staff and in particular its leadership must be fully committed to both print and digital publishing platforms. We are committed to supporting our incredibly talented editorial staff throughout this process.
Veteran VMG editor and newsman Pete Kotz will temporarily direct the talented Village Voice staff while management conducts a search for a permanent New York editor. The right candidate will focus on maintaining the journalistic excellence of the Voice while embracing and enhancing new platforms and areas of consumer interest.

[Photo: Getty]