LES GALS

The location of Les Gals at 136 West 42nd Street remained a pivotal destination for transients traveling incognito; seeking asylum and the Show World aesthetic in close proximity to the commute home. Interspersed between such sordid attractions as a Wurlitzer organ store, a topless shoeshine joint, and the lewd New Bryant Theater, amidst skells, beggars, and 3-card monte dealers that pervaded the block, Richie bought the building for a mere $350,000; actually considered a steal at the time.

Vinny Palmieri: ‘Back then you had the legal right to be a porn store if you sold exactly (1) item in the bookstore. But if you went and announced that you were going into the (adult) business, they would right away bring in the zoning law. In other words, it was under the wire if you sold only (1) item.’ The ground floor of Les Gals constituted a well-stocked bookstore conveniently arranged with a repertoire of graphic hard-core pornography; not exactly on the Christmas list of the Moral Majority. Videocassettes (VHS and Beta tapes) adaptable to the PAL/SECAM system were displayed in abundance, with imported fuck books, assorted novelties, and marital devices devoted to sexual pleasure second to none (with the exception of mail-order brides). Continue