Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston's Most Notorious Neighborhood
Boston has always been known for its stiff character. So how did this great New England city become home to one of the largest and most notorious adult entertainment districts in the nation? In this expertly crafted history, veteran reporter Stephanie Schorow teases out the issues that created this controversial neighborhood, giving voice to the players who sought to tame or profit from the sleaze snaking its way through Boston. At turns comic and tragic, Schorow introduces us to the politicians, exotic dancers, and wise guys, and residents brought together by the adult entertainment district—a five-acre neighborhood the city engineered to contain the very porno plague it wanted to eliminate. (Meet the nun-turned-attorney who advocated for the First Amendment rights of adult bookstores, a dancer called “the thinking man’s stripper,” and Boston’s unofficial city censor.) For these people and thousands of others, the Combat Zone is more than a memory—it was a life-altering adventure.
1127329930
Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston's Most Notorious Neighborhood
Boston has always been known for its stiff character. So how did this great New England city become home to one of the largest and most notorious adult entertainment districts in the nation? In this expertly crafted history, veteran reporter Stephanie Schorow teases out the issues that created this controversial neighborhood, giving voice to the players who sought to tame or profit from the sleaze snaking its way through Boston. At turns comic and tragic, Schorow introduces us to the politicians, exotic dancers, and wise guys, and residents brought together by the adult entertainment district—a five-acre neighborhood the city engineered to contain the very porno plague it wanted to eliminate. (Meet the nun-turned-attorney who advocated for the First Amendment rights of adult bookstores, a dancer called “the thinking man’s stripper,” and Boston’s unofficial city censor.) For these people and thousands of others, the Combat Zone is more than a memory—it was a life-altering adventure.
18.95 In Stock
Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston's Most Notorious Neighborhood

Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston's Most Notorious Neighborhood

by Stephanie Schorow
Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston's Most Notorious Neighborhood

Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston's Most Notorious Neighborhood

by Stephanie Schorow

Paperback

$18.95 
  • SHIP THIS ITEM
    In stock. Ships in 1-2 days.
  • PICK UP IN STORE

    Your local store may have stock of this item.

Related collections and offers


Overview

Boston has always been known for its stiff character. So how did this great New England city become home to one of the largest and most notorious adult entertainment districts in the nation? In this expertly crafted history, veteran reporter Stephanie Schorow teases out the issues that created this controversial neighborhood, giving voice to the players who sought to tame or profit from the sleaze snaking its way through Boston. At turns comic and tragic, Schorow introduces us to the politicians, exotic dancers, and wise guys, and residents brought together by the adult entertainment district—a five-acre neighborhood the city engineered to contain the very porno plague it wanted to eliminate. (Meet the nun-turned-attorney who advocated for the First Amendment rights of adult bookstores, a dancer called “the thinking man’s stripper,” and Boston’s unofficial city censor.) For these people and thousands of others, the Combat Zone is more than a memory—it was a life-altering adventure.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781493048991
Publisher: Globe Pequot Publishing
Publication date: 08/01/2019
Pages: 168
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.30(d)

About the Author

Stephanie Schorow is the author of seven books on Boston history, including Drinking Boston: A History of the City and Its Spirits, The Cocoanut Grove Fire, Boston on Fire, East of Boston: Notes from the Harbor Islands, and The Crime of the Century: How the Brink’s Robbers Stole Millions and the Hearts of Boston. She co-wrote The Boston Mob Guide: Hit Men, Hoodlums & Hideouts with Beverly Ford. She has worked as an editor and reporter for the Boston Herald, the Associated Press, and numerous other publications.

Table of Contents

Introduction: The Liberty Tree 9

Chapter 1 It Really is a Combat Zone 15

Chapter 2 From Scollay Square to the Combat Zone 21

Chapter 3 Porno Chic 37

Chapter 4 Creating an Adult Playground 47

Intermission: The Politician and the Foxe 59

Chapter 5 Girls, Girls, Girls 65

Chapter 6 Dealing with the Devil 79

Intermission: The Patriotic Stripper 87

Chapter 7 The Seduction of Mayor White 89

Chapter 8 Not Supposed to Happen 93

Chapter 9 Danger Zone 103

Chapter 10 The Constitution and the Combat Zone 109

Chapter 11 Unrepentant 115

Chapter 12 Mobsters in the Zone 123

Chapter 13 With a Bang and a Whimper 131

Chapter 14 Saying Goodbye to the Zone 141

Timeline 146

Acknowledgments 148

Notes on Sources 149

Index 159

About the Author 168

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews