| BROTHEL | ADDRESS / PHONE |
| Angel’s Ladies | 3 mi. north on US 95, Beatty. (775) 553-9986 (CLOSED) |
| Cherry Patch/Mabel’s | Appaloosa Lane, Crystal. (775) 372-5574 |
| Cherry Patch II | Highway 95, Armargoosa Valley. (775) 372-5551 |
| Chicken Ranch | 10511 Homestead Road, Pahrump. (775) 727-5721 |
| Cottontail Ranch | Lida Junction, Tonopah. (775) 572-3111 (CLOSED) |
| Shady Lady | US 95, 28 mi. north of Beatty. (775) 553-9100 |
| Sheri’s Ranch | 10551 Homestead Road, Pahrump. (775) 727-5916 |
Angels Ladies Brothel
3 mi. north on US 95, Beatty 775 553-9986
Cherry Patch I/Mabel’s/Madame Butterfly’s
Appaloosa Lane, Crystal 775 372-5574
Cherry Patch II CLOSED
Highway 95, Amargosa Valley. 775 372-5551
Chicken Ranch
10511 Homestead Road, Pahrump 775 727-5721
Cottontail Ranch (CLOSED)
Lida Junction, Tonopah 775 572-3111
Shady Lady Ranch
US 95, 28 mi. north of Beatty 775 553-9100
Sheri’s Ranch
10511 Homestead Road, Pahrump 775 727-5721
So Long, Angel’s Ladies
Longtime Hwy 95 establishment closes its doors, most likely for good
Another small-town brothel bites the dust.
Angel’s Ladies, located two miles north of Beatty on Hwy 95, closed in September after the new owners, who purchased the establishment in 2005, let the quarterly license expire. Nye County officials said that the owners have no plans to re-open it as a brothel.
79 year-old Mack Moore, who, with his wife Angel, had owned and operated the brothel for many years prior to the sale, considered taking over the property again. However, he lost interest once he learned that he would have to repeat the entire evaluation process, including a financial audit.
Angel’s Ladies began life in the 1950’s as Fran’s Star Ranch.
More here.
Hard Times in Las Vegas?
Two area brothels, recently sold, may be back on the market
After changing hands just a short time ago, both the Chicken Ranch, in Pahrump, and Angel’s Ladies, outside of Beatty, may be for sale again. A “For Sale” sign was recently spotted at the front of the Angel’s Ladies property. The brothel’s website also looks as if it has not been updated in months. The Chicken Ranch re-sale fell through after the buyers failed to qualify for a brothel license.
Before the most recent owners took over, both establishments had enjoyed the stability of long-term ownership. Ken Greenowned the Chicken Ranch for over 22 years before finally giving up control last year to a management group. Angel’s Ladies had been owned for eight years by Mack and Angel Moore, former undertakers from the Pacific Northwest, who took over the business in 1997 and finally sold it to a management group (JBJ Ranch, Inc.) in September, 2005. Before that, it was Fran’s Star Ranch for many years. In addition, the Cottontail Ranch, in nearby Esmerelda County, closed its doors several years ago due to financial mismanagement and is still without a buyer.
Why do the new owners want out after so little time at the helm? It could be that the industry is changing. All the Vegas-area brothels face stiff competition from illegal independent escorts operating in Las Vegas itself. Many of these escorts are former brothel workers who left the industry to have more control over their working hours and income (most area brothels are open 24 hours/day and require the prostitutes to give at least 50% of their income to the house). A good number of these escorts is also Internet-savvy. They have their own websites with contact and pricing information, and benefit from review sites where clients rate an escort’s performance for the benefit of other clients. They can drive their own customer traffic, and, in many cases, offer better prices and more activities than their brothel-working counterparts. (We, of course, do not advocate engaging in illegal activities.)
Customer traffic certainly appears to have declined at the area brothels over the years. It was recently pointed out that Angel’s Ladies sees only eight potential customers per day. During our own visit to the area during the CES/Adult Expo show in January 2006 (details here), which should have been a boom time for the Vegas-area brothels, we noticed that all were extremely slow. At Sheri’s Ranch, there were only a few customers in the bar and no one called a line-up. At the Chicken Ranch, we were the only two customers in the bar, being expectantly stared down by a dozen or so ladies. At Mabel’s, the madame didn’t even know that the CES/Adult Expo was going on.
More details about these, and other Nevada brothels that may be for sale, are located here.
Is Nevada Ready for a Stud Farm*?
Heidi Fleiss aims to open an all-male brothel
You may know that Heidi Fleiss, the former “Beverly Hills Madam” and the brains behind the ultra-exclusive escort operation that employed beautiful models and serviced the likes of actor Charlie Sheen, has been sniffing around Nye County with the intent of opening an upscale brothel.
You may also know that Bunny Ranch owner and publicity hound Dennis Hof was once in the picture, acting as Fleiss’ advisor and temporary boyfriend.
But, have you heard the latest? Fleiss still wants to open an upscale brothel in Nye County. She still wants to stock it with beautiful talent. And, she still got advice from a noted brothel owner (Joe Richards was involved for a while before backing out and letting Fleiss go on her own).
This time, there’s a twist: the traditional brothel roles will be reversed. The guys will be the ones standing in the lineups and the ladies will be the ones doing the choosing. Yes, if Fleiss’ Stud Farm gets off the ground, it will be Nevada’s first all-male brothel. Fleiss plans to stock her establishment with about 20 male prostitutes, who will charge $250/hr. and have the typical 50/50 split with the house. Oh, by the way, it’s for women clients only. Gay men are not allowed to play.
The venue for Fleiss’ vision could be the Cherry Patch I Ranch, one of three brothel properties operated by Joe Richards. Two of these properties, the Cherry Patch II in Amargosa Valley and Madam Butterfly’s in Crystal, are still active, but the Cherry Patch I itself has been inactive as a brothel for years.
There have been a couple of failed attempts over the past 20 years to open an all-male brothel in Nevada — the most recent by mentally off-center anti-brothel activist John Reese in an attempt to stir up publicity — but they had neither the blessing of the powers-that-be nor the economic clout of a Heidi Fleiss.
Wait just a minute, says Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo, who also sits on the brothel licensing board. There’s the small issue of Fleiss’ past. You see, Fleiss is a convicted felon, and such people are barred from participating in the county’s legal sex trade. (Fleiss did nearly two years in a California prison after being convicted of tax evasion, money laundering, and attempted pandering during the late 1990s.)
But, supposing she does get a brothel license, a number of questions still remains: Will a Stud Farm actually fly in Nye County? Will there be enough horny women willing to pay to play there? And, will the angry townsfolk storm the building with pitchforks and lit torches?
Stay tuned for further details. In any case, it’s bound to get interesting.
*This is only a descriptive term, and may not be the new brothel’s actual name.
Sanity Prevails in Nye County
Area brothels survive latest attempt to close them down
By a vote of 3-2, the Nye County Commission rejected a proposal to allow county residents to decide whether or not to force the closure of the six area brothels. Instead, the Commission will focus on revising the county’s brothel ordinance to include higher licensing fees and stricter control of advertising.
This comes as a blow to the aspirations of County Commission Chairman Henry Neth, who publicly stated that he could generate enough pull to close the brothels down. However, it turned out that the County Commission did not have the appetite to force closure of the brothels itself, or to pass this task on to the citizens of Nye County.
In addition, Neth spoke to a number of area residents to gauge support for his position, and he found that the majority favored toning down the advertising and the billboards, but also favored leaving the brothels free to operate. Nye County Sheriff Tony DeMeo wants to make sure that this does not include such illegal activities as money laundering or drug use. He recommended hiring a special investigator to ensure that the brothels are operating on the right side of the law.
Those residents who are anti-brothel may have lost their chance to vote the brothels down this November, but they can still circulate a petition to have an anti-brothel ordinance appear on the ballot for the next election.
Angel’s Ladies Brothel, which billed itself as the “friendliest brothel in Nevada,” closed at the end of September. The new owner doesn’t have plans to reopen it as a brothel, said Assistant Sheriff Johanna Cody.
County planners and law enforcement officials aren’t sure what the new owner intends to do with the property.
The brothel had been owned by Jonathan King, who let the quarterly license expire Sept. 30, Cody said.
Former owner Mack Moore, who sold the property in September 2005, had talked about reacquiring the brothel, Cody said.
“When we explained to him he had to go through all the procedures again, with an audited financial statement, he thought about it for a while but then submitted a letter withdrawing his application,” Cody said.
King had a partner at one time, Joshua Gottesman, Cody said.
It’s the second, small, rural brothel to close along Highway 95 within the last five years. The Cottontail Ranch at Lida Junction in Esmeralda County, closed about four years ago and hasn’t reopened. Before that, Bobby’s Buckeye Bar in Tonopah closed in the early 1990s, then couldn’t reopen due to zoning regulations.
Blinking red lights from the brothels were a fixture along Highway 95 at one time and were about the only businesses on the highway between Beatty and Goldfield. The closure of Angel’s Ladies means there won’t be any operating brothels on Highway 95 between Lathrop Wells and Mina, in Mineral County.
“In a way I hate to see it happen, because the money they did generate went into county health and welfare. But if you can’t make payroll there’s no sense in staying open,” Cody said.
Angel’s Ladies submitted the standard $1,875 quarterly payment, Cody said.
The brothel didn’t have a bar, which could have affected business, Cody said, but it could also create problems for a brothel.
Bobbi Davis, manager of the Shady Lady Ranch, 20 miles north, said business tightened up when the price of gas went up. But customers have started coming in when the brothels were allowed to start advertising last summer, she said.
Davis was a plaintiff in the case requesting the right to advertise, citing the numerous escort services that already hand out fliers and advertise in Las Vegas.
“It’s a tough business. I think it’s going to be easier now we’re getting a few more people who didn’t know we were here,” Davis said. “It’s not going to be a panacea for everything, but it’s going to help.
“The small ones are slowly dying out. We’re doing okay (but) the only ones that are doing all right are the big houses. I managed to hang on for 15 years. I think I could manage to hang on a little longer.”
Angels Ladies Brothel, with 48 acres, was put up for sale for $1.8 million in 2004. The brothel had boasted a warm spring in the back at a constant 84 degrees. Moore had suggested the property would be ideal for a truck stop with over 400 feet of frontage on Highway 95.
Moore, now 79 and living in Las Vegas, was unavailable for comment.
Angels Ladies Brothel is on the Nye County Agenda for liscensing on Oct. 20th, 2009.
All paper work is in order and the fees have been paid.
Liscensed working ladies may be lining up as soon as Oct. 21st, 2009. After they open, go to Angels Ladies in Beatty, NV for fun and pleasure!
End of the Line for Nye County Brothels?
Sheri’s, Chicken Ranch, Mabel’s, Cherry Patch, Angel’s Ladies, and Shady Lady could all be closed by the end of the year
Is this a case of a concerned government official wanting to address the unease of his constituents? Or is this simply another case of political grandstanding during an election year?
Whatever the case, the six Nye County brothels once again face the prospect of extinction. Four years ago, an anti-brothel movement stalled when its proponents could not gather enough signatures to get their initiative on the November ballot. Now, Nye County Commission Chairman Henry Neth thinks he can do it all without a public vote. Neth says he has lined up the two additional “No” votes that will win a majority on the 5-seat commission and give him the authority he needs to close the brothels. To that extent, Neth has scheduled a July hearing in Tonopah, the Nye County seat, to hear the concerns of the public. Based on the results of that hearing, the vote could come as early as August 17th. If the anti-brothel forces on the commission do indeed hold the majority, then the end of the legal Nye County brothel industry could arrive as soon as six months from now.
What, exactly, has raised the ire of the County Commission Chairman? For one thing, Neth claims that the owners are violating the state guidelines prohibiting advertising. This could very well point to Joe Richards, owner of the Mabel’s/Cherry Patch properties. Last June 16th, Richards opened up an all-nude strip club called “The Kingdom,” which he promoted via large, conspicuous images of scantily-clad women on the outer walls of the club. We also understand that Richards is using the strip club to promote his brothels.
Apparently, the presence of the images has angered many Pahrumpians. One of the fastest-growing areas in the fastest-growing state in the nation, Pahrump has gone from a population of basically zero 30 years ago, when the brothels first appeared on the scene, to nearly 30,000 today. It’s now the largest city in Nye County, and new arrivals tend to be socially conservative. They like the weather, they like being free from a state income tax, and they like raising their families away from the debauchery of Las Vegas. The images on the outer walls of the club stand as a glaring reminder of what they wanted to get away from. Many may tolerate the brothels if their effects are kept out of sight, but an in-your-face billboard or provocative image is another issue. After all, it was a billboard promoting a “Brothel Museum” that provided one of the main catalysts for the ill-fated 2000 anti-brothel initiative.
Suggestive images aside, Neth claims that the brothels are simply causing more trouble than they’re worth. This point is hard to see, as the brothels pose no law enforcement problems and the privileged licenses to operate them put hundreds of thousands of dollars of renewal fees per year in county coffers. This is in addition to the revenue generated by support industries, such as hotels, gas stations, casinos, and restaurants, that benefit from brothel traffic.
Other things don’t make sense. For example, why does all this justify closing all six Nye County brothels, most of which are outside the eyeshot of the citizens of Pahrump and have owners who are playing by the rules? And, why allow Pahrump to decide the economic fate of a smaller community like Beatty, which is essentially pro-brothel and could not withstand the loss of Angel’s Ladies and the Shady Lady?
Hopefully, these issues will be addressed during the public hearing in July. And, if the eventual ruling is unfavorable towards the brothel owners, you can expect to see this battle continued in the courts, as the owners have millions of dollars tied up in their properties.
There are many possible outcomes to this scenario. Perhaps Richards could be magnanimous and take down the images. Perhaps the commission could allow the existing brothels to be grandfathered and no new brothels to be built. Or, perhaps this could all go down as Neth wants and mark the beginning of the end of the legal brothel industry in Nevada. Whatever the case, we shall see in August.