Mustang Ranch

The Mustang Ranch was a 104-room bordello on a 440-acre spread near Reno, Nevada. It was established by Joe Conforte, a onetime cabdriver, in 1955. Sixteen years later, he won a court case that paved the way for the legalization of prostitution in Nevada -- where whether to sanction or forbid the establishments is left up to county government. Twelve of the state's 17 counties now permit the operation of bordellos. The Mustang closed in 1999, when the owners were convicted of fraud, but it was quite a ride (pardon the really bad pun) in the intervening years.

Visitors to the Ranch were buzzed through a gate in a 10-foot fence with the famous pink "World Famous Mustang Ranch" sign. The buzzer signaled the prostitutes to line up in the red-wallpapered lobby for pairing off. Inside were sumptuous public rooms adorned with red velvet and leather armchairs and private chambers with names like Cowboy's Dungeon. Prices started at $40 per hour, but could easily grow to $200 or $300 per hour depending on the customers tastes.

I spent a lot of time at the Mustang Ranch, the bordello that zgirll speaks of. Sometimes I went there first thing in the morning, sometimes late at night..I got to know more than one girl there; I've even eaten breakfast in the Mustang Ranch kitchen, with several girls. Sometimes, they would call me; just want to go into town with me, do some shopping. A lot of acquaintances of mine thought I spent too much time there; but it was always well worth it. And none of the girls with whom I spent time, ever got jealous of the time I spent with the others. It was truly a remarkable place in which I worked for them as much as they worked for me. I'll never forget it.

You see, I drove a cab in Reno for 7 years, and that's where we made most of our money. And while, waiting on customers, we waited in the kitchen; off limits to customers. And the girls would call on their days off and want to go shopping, or to the airport, or apartments they kept, etc. And Joe Conforte,the owner, had a wonderful policy for us cabbies..whatever our customer spent, we'd get 10% of the action. It really was a unique experience, and although every once in a while, one of the customers would offer to buy you a girl while we waited...I never did..no, no, really, I never did..no really.