A girl's gotta earn a living. That's the attitude of Heidi Fleiss, the infamous former Hollywood Madam. In order to keep her hand in the business world, Ms. Fleiss has opened a new kind of business in her current hometown of Pahrump, Nevada. But this business doesn't involve sex, it involves laundry. Real laundry. That's right - Heidi's new venture is none other than a laundromat - a mom and pop operation named Dirty Laundry. How appropriate.
Heidi Fleiss became the star of a media blitz when she was indicted in the late 1990's for pandering and tax evasion. The charges stemmed from her role as the infamous "Hollywood Madam", owner of a brothel that supplied $10,000 a night call girls to celebrities, politicians, and high powered businessmen. She was sentenced to 37 months in prison for tax evasion, which is a felony.
Pahrump is a one-horse desert town located in Death Valley, 80 miles outside Las Vegas. It's a far cry from L.A.'s hard and fast lifestyle but Heidi wants to call it home. So why open a laundromat when your specialty is dirty laundry of another kind?
"Something made me do a laundromat," Fleiss revealed to FOXNews.com. "I need to work, I love to work and someone said a laundromat, so a laundromat it is."
Some people are surprised at Heidi's transition from her previous life, commenting that the new business is a step down for the famed Madam. "I don't perceive any work being menial," Fleiss said.
So far, her hard work seems to have paid off. Dirty Laundry, located in the Pahrump Valley Junction Shopping Center, opened its doors for the first time on Sunday. In attendance were a crowd of well-wishers, amused onlookers and potential customers toting loads of dirty clothes. Fleiss, always the consummate hostess, was also in attendance, serving cake and beverages.
"It's not the biggest laundromat but I thought the best location," Fleiss stated in a telephone interview.
Although the name might conjure up dirty laundry of another sort, Fleiss insists that it's all legitimate.
"Call it what it is, right?" she said about her state-of-the-art facility. "Everything is brand new -- new machines, water softener -- and I'm going to cost less than the other laundromats."
As a new business owner, Fleiss is excited about the venture. She is quick to point out the advantages of being located at the town's only mall. In addition, Dirty Laundry will employ an on-duty attendant and the cost for dropping off laundry will be 65 cents per pound, which is much cheaper than similar laundromats in Las Vegas.
Fleiss' original reason for moving to Pahrump wasn't to open Dirty Laundry, however. Her other plans, which are still in the works, include installing commercial windmills on her own property as well as opening a business called Heidi's Stud Farm, the country's first legal brothel serving only female customers. The plans for opening the castle-like structure are grand.
Unfortunately for Heidi, the plans for the "Farm" have come across some local opposition and have hit some legal snags. In addition, detractors suggest that clients won't make the hour and a half drive to get what they can already get in Vegas. But Heidi Fleiss will not be deterred. Expecting to be up and running in the next 8 months, Fleiss ensures that she will create an exotic experience for her clientele, advertising the perfect scenario for bachelorette parties or for women wanting an uncomplicated, safe rendezvous. "I have heard from very wealthy, very beautiful women who say they'll be first in line," Fleiss said.
