Scores is a strip club in Manhattan, New York City, and was one of several gentlemen's clubs which changed the face of adult entertainment in that city during the early 1990s and had gained wider notoriety and popularity mostly due to frequent mention by Howard Stern. Today Scores has changed ownership and total management of the night club company. On January 27, 2009, the Company entered into a licensing agreement with I.M. Operating LLC (IMO) for the use of the Scores brand name.
History, publicity
Scores was New York's "first major gentlemen's club" when it opened in the early 1990s. "'It had a gorgeous interior, high-end food and drinks, and of course stunningly beautiful women in sexy gowns. Prior to that, live adult entertainment in New York consisted largely of seedy peep show-type places,' says Joe Diamond, veteran journalist and publicist for the adult industry."
Similar clubs that opened during this period include Flashdancers and Goldfinger's. Scores followed suit, opening as a venue run by businessmen from Denver and Texas. Later, it was taken over by New Yorkers and became at one point embroiled in controversy over alleged Mafia connections. Scores has attracted a lot of publicity by giving many free visits to Howard Stern, who often mentioned the club on his radio show, along with attracting a fair amount of celebrity guests. The somewhat lesser known but earlier established Flashdancers actually holds claim though of being NYC's first "table dance" club, begun in 1991, modeling itself after Micheal Peter's Pure Platinum/Solid Gold establishments of the late 1980s. These clubs, along with Tens (formerly Stringfellows) are considered to be "gentrifying" clubs; displacing the old B-girl hustle bar in Manhattan with lavish adult nightclubs. On the August 16, 2007 Sirius radio broadcast of The Howard Stern Show, spokesman Lonnie Hanover called in to reveal that he had resigned his publicity and promotions position at Scores after 15 years. Hanover stated that he did not agree with some "recent changes" and has decided to "face some new challenges and maybe do it somewhere else," and added, "I'm still in love with big boobs, real or fake."[1]. On the February 6, 2008 broadcast of the Stern show, Lonnie Hanover reported that he would be moving to Ricks Cabaret in New York.
On August 19, 2007, it was widely reported that the then Opposition Leader of Australia, Kevin Rudd, had visited Scores in September 2003 with New York Post editor Col Allan and Labor backbencher Warren Snowdon. At the time, Rudd was the Opposition Foreign Affairs spokesman and did not have a "completely clear recollection" of the visit, stating he had "drunk a fair bit". The revelation did not have an adverse effect on his standing in the opinion polls and was subsequently elected Prime Minister of Australia, but he nonetheless distanced himself from the event.[2]
Scores Holding Company, Inc. (Scores) is in the business of licensing the Scores trademarks and other intellectual property to fine strip nightclubs with adult entertainment in the United States. These clubs feature topless female entertainers together with opportunities for watching sporting events, celebrating business transactions and private parties. The company has 12 clubs operating under the Scores name, including Baltimore, Chicago, and New Orleans. Scores Baltimore has been awarded best strip club by Baltimore city paper for 2008, 2009, and 2010. On January 27, 2009, the Company entered into a licensing agreement with I.M. Operating LLC (IMO) for the use of the Scores brand name. A Scores club opened in Lake Worth, FL in December 2015.
Popular culture
In Blue Bloods season 3 episode 21 "Devil's Breath" suspect worked at Scores shown from the outside and a set inside which is not known if it was filmed in the club or on a set staged as Scores.
In the HBO comedy-drama How to Make It in America, "Kappo" says he picked up his help from Scores.
In the movie I Think I Love My Wife, Steve Buscemi's character briefly mentions Scores.
Scenes from the 2005 film The Interpreter were filmed at the 333 East 60th St venue. Two of the club's entertainers were shown dancing for a character in the film.
In the movie Rounders, which is set in New York City, Scores is briefly mentioned.
On an episode of Saturday Night Live's Weekend Update, anchor Tina Fey, upon reporting that former writer and cast member Al Franken was considering a run for the U.S. Senate from his home state of Minnesota, stated that if he were to win the seat, "he would be the "first SNL alum to hold office since last year, when Tracy Morgan declared himself to be the 'Mayor of Scores'."
On an episode of The Whitest Kids U' Know, a sketch about men going to strip clubs with strange names (i.e., "ST Double D's: The Breast Barn") makes a reference to Scores when the executive producer "interrupts" the sketch to apologize for the sketch, but ends up making up strip club names himself.
Alleged tax evasion
In February 2006 a Manhattan grand jury returned tax evasion indictments against two Scores executives and a bookkeeper. Manhattan's District Attorney said that an investigation into customers' complaints of overcharging revealed a scheme by Scores managers involving shell companies, the pressuring of some strippers into giving kickbacks[3], and the falsification of income tax returns.
Locations
New York City [1], Baltimore [2], Chicago [3], New Orleans [4], Tampa [5], Atlantic City [6], Lake Worth FL [7], Jacksonville FL [8], Buffalo NY [9], Houston TX [10], Columbus OH [11]
References
1. Howard Stern.com
2. Post editor led clean-cut pol on strip night of shame - TV
3. New York Post - Confessions of an ex Scores Stripper
External links
- Official Website
- New York Post- Page Six
- Interview With General Manager Ed Norwick
- Rudd blames Downer for strip club story
- NYC Strip Club Scores offers Tiger Woods 1 Million Endorsement Deal
- Tiger Woods Plan B Scores?