The Last Philly Porn Theater Closes

The Forum Theater, Philadelphia's last X-rated movie theater, closed Nov. 30. The theater's owner, Richard Basciano, who also owns about a dozen properties within a couple blocks of the theater, plans to develop new apartment buildings and retail space in the area.  Basciano, now 87 years old, was known as the king of Times Square porn and still owns the famous Show World in Times Square. 

The Forum Theater, located in Philadelphia's City Center neighborhood, about five blocks west of City Hall on Market Street, attempted to stay in business as people increasingly watched porn at home on DVD or the internet. In 2010 the owners tried to transform the theater into a full-service sex club but after initially winning approval from the city, the court overturned the zoning variance it needed to operate. 

The Forum was once located on a seedy strip in the neighborhood, but now the surrounding area has become more upscale. While it's been slow going for Basciano who's attempting to buy up surrounding property, it's likely the Forum Theater will give way to a parking lot.

Philly Penthouse Club Raided; 8 Arrested for Hooking

According to news reports, the investigation that preceded Friday’s raid of the Port Richmond Penthouse Club by officers of the state Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement that resulted in eight people being arrested on charges related to prostitution was instigated at the request of members of the public, including the wives of alleged patrons who accused their husbands of spending grocery money on things you cannot bring home to eat.

That, at least, is the allegation of Sgt. Bill LaTorre of LCE, who told Philly.com, “If you would have asked me a year ago if this was a problem, I would have said no. But in the last few months I've gotten so many letters to me about what's going on that it appears to me it is now a rampant problem."

More strip clubs in the area, he added, can expect the same in the weeks and months to come, implying that investigations at those unnamed clubs have already been conducted as they were at the at the Penthouse Club on Castor Avenue, where Latorre said men would pay $300 for 30 minutes in the champagne room or $250 for a skybox to engage in various types of sex with performers at the club.

"The house is getting rich, literally, off the backs of these girls," LaTorre said, adding the club received $100 from every skybox visit and $150 from every champagne-room, and was thus very well aware of the illegal activity happening on the premises.

Though the police declined to release the names of those popped in the Friday raid, they did indicate that the seven dancers and one manager were caught red-handed soliciting undercover officers. The owners of the club were not cited, but remain under investigation. The future of the club’s liquor license, LaTorre said, is at stake.