I had an early flight out of DC this morning to return to New Orleans. I was half asleep as my kind sister-in-law drove me and The Baby to Reagan International. I was awake enough to catch the news blurb about Vitter's indiscretions and couldn't help but to laugh out loud -- especially when he referred to sex with a prostitute as a "very serious sin." In calling his solicitations a "sin" he somehow skirts the issue that he broke the law. Everyone knows that the history of prostitution runs deep in New Orleans. We've even had a bad TV movie made about one contemporary madame. From Storyville to the Canal Street Brothel to the women who have come here to assist with the "relief efforts" , prostitution is alive and well in NOLA.I picked up a copy of The Last Madame at Louis Armstrong International a few years ago -- back while I could leisurely read on a plane ride rather than subdue a wiggly baby. The book chronicled the life of Norma Wallace and her brothels in New Orleans which she ran for forty years starting in the early 1920's. I don't remember the book being particularly well-written but it succeeded in giving a view of what The Quarter was like decades ago before Hand Grenades and Hustler moved in. Although prostitution was illegal while Wallace's brothel was open, she credits the NOPD with the longevity of her business. She had a lot of friends in town.Unlike "massage parlors" that are likely targets for shakedowns, upscale brothels attract the type of clientele that can keep them safe. Another source of protection are the little black books held by the madams which can be a free pass out of jail if played right. The beauty is that when these brothels are busted and their books are exposed, we sometimes get to see who has been naughty.
The history of prostitution in New Orleans goes back to the first settlers but it was Storyville that made it famous. In addition to legalized homes of ill repute up until 1917, the district boasted many jazz clubs which exposed visitors to the new sound. Most of Storyville was demolished and replaced with the Iberville Housing Projects in the 30's but New Orleans' seedy nature still lives on. Once prostitution was made illegal, prostitutes moved into the shadows but still remained in business. Today we have massage parlors and streetwalkers. I'm sure that there are still brothels about but I'm not in the know. The laws in Louisiana regarding prostitution and their enforcement are somewhat archaic. If there is heterosexual penetration involved, the prostitute is charged with Prostitution I, a misdemeanor and is usually given credit for time served and sent on their way. However, if any other type of sex act is performed (use your imagination), the prostitute can be charged with Crimes Against Nature , a felony. Now, most of the prostitutes charged with this felony plead to the lessor charge of Prostitution I. However, some do plead guilty to the felony charge if it is their first offense and have to live the rest of their life with that on their record. Not so great. Johns are rarely -- if ever -- charged with anything.
It'll be interesting to see how this whole Vitter thing plays out but I'm sure it'll fall under the "boys will be boys" category and disappear until he shows up on someone else's list. In the meantime I hope that no one else from Louisiana is revealed to be a crook on Capital Hill for at least the next five years. Is that too much to ask?
