December 30
Heidi Fleiss' Birthday
 


In the 1990s, Heidi Fleiss, the "Hollywood Madam" was one of the most influential madams in the world.
She had some of Los Angeles' most beautiful women working for her high-end prostitution service serving Tinseltown's rich and famous for up to $10,000 a night. Then she was arrested and convicted for tax-evasion in connection with her prostitution earnings and sentenced to 37 months in prison. However, due  to strong media pressure and public outrage at her harsh punishment while her customers had not been punished, she only served 21 months. 

Heidi's father, a well-known obstetrician, was convicted of money laundering for his daughter, and sentenced to one day in prison, three years of probation and 625 hours of community service,  a somewhat ironic sentence considering community service was the reason why his daughter was arrested.

Heidi's charges were unusual since in Los Angeles, as in many other cities, prostitution madams are often exempt from prosecution in exchange for information about some of their clients. Heidi was apparently not  cooperative and made many enemies among the police, politicians, and other whoremongers, especially her former boss, Madam Alex, who accused Heidi of stealing all her clients.

In 1995, Nick Broomfield made a fascinating BBC documentary about Heidi, her family, another Madam named Alex, Fleiss' former lover, director, and ever-smiling scumbag Ivan Nagy, and the LA prostitution scene called Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam. In 2004, a made-for-TV movie was produced called Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss, in which Fleiss was portrayed by Jamie-Lynn Sigler. She is the owner of the West Hollywood boutique "Hollywood Madam."  When she announces in the opening scene that her world runs on ''dollars, dicks, drugs, and deceit'' , it's time to switch to another channel.

Fleiss moved to Nevada where she announced plans to open a male brothel for women only in Pahrump, about an hour outside Las Vegas, called "Heidi Fleiss' Stud Farm,"  so that it wouldn't be a just "one-whore's town. The brothel has been put on hold due to some criminal charges against one of her backers. Heidi then used her experience in money laundering to open a laundromat named "Dirty Laundry" in Pahrump.

With her amazing entrepreneurial talents and flair for self-promotion, Heidi may have overlooked a more lucrative line similar to Paul Newman's, such as Heidi Fleiss' Pasta Puttanesca Sauce (sugo alla puttanesca).  Sugo alla puttanesca is traditionally served with spaghetti (spaghetti alla puttanesca), although it may also be used with other dry pasta types like vermicelli (vermicelli alla puttanesca).  I guarantee that it would outsell Newman's Own.


The name puttanesca is a derivation of puttana, which in Italian means "whore." 
Pasta Puttanesca in originated in Naples.  There are several hypotheses on the origin of the name. The more reasonable explanations are based on the quick cooking time of the dish  - less than 15 minutes. Either the whores needed something quick to make and eat so they wouldn't miss too much street traffic, or  is was something quick to make for their tricks to ensure a tip or a return customer if the sex was only marginal. 

So lets enjoy some Spaghetti alla Puttanesca on Heidi's birthday while we recall her celebrity by renting a DVD of Heidi Fleiss: Hollywood Madam.

 
 

Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
(Whore's spaghetti
)

 

 
Ingredients
 
8 oz spaghetti
3 TB extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
 
2 tsp capers, rinsed and drained
8 pitted black olives, quartered
1 14-oz canned chopped tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 TB  finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
 
 
Instructions  
  1. Heat water for pasta in a large pot to boiling
  2. While water is heating, heat 2 TB of the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add spaghetti to water and follow instructions on package
  4. Add the garlic and anchovies to the onion n the frying pan and cook for a minute, stirring to break up the anchovies.
  5. Add the red pepper flakes, capers, olives, tomatoes, salt and pepper, and bring to the boil.
    Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  6. When spaghetti is ready, drain the cooked spaghetti  into a colander and put the sauce in the
    bottom of the pot.
  7. Top with the hot pasta, parsley and reserved TB of olive oil, and toss together gently to combine.

. © 2011 Gordon Nary and Tyler Stokes