413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy

with a hotel manager: “I was seeing the Red Roof Inn general manager and getting a room for free seven
days a week” (F1). Another pimp reported how his relationship with a hotel manager evolved from
suspicion and distrust to a lucrative relationship for both parties:
[The manager] scared me at first … [he] said, “You making a lot of money in my hotels.” I
said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.” He said, “Man, just leave me your card.”
He wanted me to stay there because I was making him money. He scared me. I didn’t
know if he was trying to set me up, so I didn’t leave my card [at first]. But me and him
had an understanding. He was okay with what I was doing. (B5)
Hotel employees also tipped off pimps to law enforcement inquiries; at times, hotel employees
intentionally concealed the presence of sex workers and pimps at their businesses. One pimp explained:
Well the hotel where I’d stay, they showed me love. I brought them stuff, paid them a lot,
and they let me stay there in an unregistered room … The cops, they would follow girls in
and ask, “Where did they go” And they would say, “I don’t know, I didn’t see anything.”
Because they passed a law saying that the police could come in with a warrant and look at
the registry, and then they would say, “Well, okay, who’s in Room 17” That’s where I was,
but they would say that room’s not registered to no one. (A3)
Relationships with employees of other legal companies also helped pimps recruit and advertise. For
example, clubs reportedly provided pimps with special deals. One pimp explained: “Well, if I go to clubs
with my girls, the club owners want to know me. I get drinks on the house and VIP at that particular club.
When you a pimp, you get a lot of respect. You walk in
with four or five girls. People look at you and think you
Massage Parlors
Other legal structures were also reportedly conducive to
underground prostitution. A female respondent explained
how a legal massage parlor allowed for an underground
prostitution business:
I ran into a friend and we started talking and
stuff and she told me about this massage parlor
in town and that it was an underground
prostitution house. She told me that I could
probably make lots of money and it was a way
out of the situation. This was in 1999—
November. I knocked on the door and there
were 7 girls in there, the boss took me into a
room and made sure that I knew what she did
there. She told me the rules and how it worked
and that I could start that night. The rules
included: No cell phones, had to work nine hour
shifts, if worked a day shift had to be there by
8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. for evening shift. Nine
hours was required, and you could take breaks
in between clients. We used to do each other’s
hair and makeup … The client paid $40 to the
house. He picked a girl out of the lineup, and
could tip $40 for a hand job, $60 for oral sex,
$80 for full service (20 minutes), $100 was for
35–45 minutes (full service). We had to give $5
to the madam, since she supplied lotion and
laundry soap, air freshener, etc. That place made
$2 million a year. I made $2,000 a week. (F1)
famous. You get discounts on clothes” (G3). Another
respondent reported, “I had relationships at the club …
I had a couple relationships with rappers. They would
buy some girls when they came to town” (A4). One
interviewee explained:
When girls work in a club, the owner would
know what was going on. He knew the deal. I’d
have to pay him off. He’d say he knew how
much my girls made there. At one club I paid
him $15,000 a month. He’d ask how much the
girls made. I’d lie and say that they made
$50,000 a month. He was like, ‘Ok.’” (H8)
Another respondent reported receiving deals from a
photographer:
Professional photos, but that is more for Eros.
You really want to put professional [photos]—
you can’t get on without ID and professional
pictures … This dude I know would give you a
deal. Know you got some hos. I just don’t pay
him. We didn’t exchange business. He did a
real nice, real professional job. Photoshop
them up, make them look really glamorous.
You want to get more money out of a female
then you put in. (B3)
Retail shops were yet another source of special deals
for respondents. Pimps reported lucrative
relationships with car dealerships. One respondent
stated, “The car dealership—they would hook you up.
Used car dealership. They knew I was shopping for me
but they would let me put it in someone else’s name”
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