Cleveland, Ohio- I had a chat Friday morning with Angela Bates de Gongora who manages the Hustler Club in Cleveland.
Both she and Mike Moz were at a local radio station drumming up some business on behalf of the club. Yesterday de Gongora did an interview with the Columbus Dispatch relative to the new strip club laws in Ohio which prohibit nudity after 12 am. This is the part of the story in which de Gongora gets quoted:
“By late afternoon yesterday, Angela Bates de Gongora was sitting in the nearly empty Hustler Club she manages in Cleveland and fretting about how bad business might be.
With the new law in effect, Hustler and other adult entertainment clubs made swift changes in their operations.
“We’re following all the new rules. The girls are wearing bikinis and they’re not having any contact with customers,” she said. “It’s had a huge impact on our business. … There are fewer customers and they’re not tipping or buying drinks for the girls.
“Just last night, I had several girls tell me they might quit. They’re not making any money. All my dancers are terrified,” she said. “They’re afraid to come to work.”
De Gongora said she had hoped that customers would come in after the Cleveland Indians-Boston Red Sox game to see their featured performer, Stormy Daniels, an adult-film star. Instead, the club probably would lose money last night.”
The interview was done before Stormy Daniels was even in town, I’m told. Contrary to the impression the story lends, the club was packed last night.
According to Moz, Daniels went on stage 10 pm and 11:30pm before the Cinderella hour would have turned her naked body into a bikini.
“I did the interview with the newspaper about 4 o’clock yesterday,” de Gogora also clarifies.
“They called to see how things were going and I expressed that I had concerns that with everything we had going on that I was worried if we could pull in for the show. Because after midnight the girls aren’t allowed to take off any clothing. And that would include the feature entertainers.”
“Those were the concerns I expressed,” de Gongora continues.
But she was ecstatic to see what a great turnout Daniels had which packed the club.
“All the customers were there to see Stormy and absolutely cheering for her the whole time. And because her last show was before midnight, she was able to get naked and do her thing.”