Recent celebrity cases of "proxénèté" (procurement or, more vulgarly, pimping) made headlines, though not necessarily much condemnation. But back in the 1970's Fernande Grudet set up high class brothels in Paris, which were frequented by underworld, spies, police chiefs and high ranking officials and politicians. Madame Claude, as she was known, chose her girls with care, insisted on plastic surgery where necessary and took 25% of their earnings. Spells in prison did not reduce her enthusiasm for her profession, though changes to the laws on prostitution and demands by the tax authorities eventually led her to flee to the USA. She died this week aged 92, her personality having been immortalised for making "le vice joli" in numerous films of the period.
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