Chasing Hookers

In the 70’s, before herpes and aids, N.Y. was "hooker heaven" and a "travellin' man's" paradise whatever his economic limits were. My oil and natural gas industry clients (the ultimate hooker chasing group) in N.Y. each had his particular routine. Not all chased hookers. The way to be sure of the woman's occupation was to ask "Are you a working girl"?

Set routines for my clients/friends were common place. With one of my favorite guys, we would start with a business dinner at Christ Cellar. Then we would walk up the street to a bar that was habituated by older, worn out hookers so nothing really happened except serious drinking. Then it was to Maxwell's Plum which was jam packed with amateurs interested in one night stands. But that wouldn't do, too much verbal foreplay at the bar. Bear in mind that, for me, it was boring going from one bar to the next since I wasn't drinking. Then it was to the Regency Hotel with very high priced hookers (in their late twenties early thirties).

Before any action could begin, the bar tender had to be paid off. Then the hookers would interact with the John. This was out of my league at that time. We stayed at the Waldorf Towers with its small lobby and elevator operators where every one knew my friend, his wife and kids. So it was an exercise getting the hooker into the hotel and up to the room. The remarkable thing was having a lucid business meeting at 8:00 the next morning in Peacock Alley.