Pimp problem not new to Milwaukee

Eugene Kane | In My Opinion |Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online

As shocking as it may seem to some, Milwaukee is no stranger to what is known as pimping.

Due to its close proximity to Chicago - the city known as the undisputed pimping capital of the Midwest - Milwaukee has earned a reputation in some circles as a place where a number of nationally known pimps first got their starts.

(No, I don't think that's something the local tourist board should start promoting.)

The latest is Derrick Avery, a 42-year-old Milwaukee native, who was arrested in Las Vegas last week and charged with running a prostitution ring for more than a decade that often used young females as young as 14 years old. Avery was known by the street name of "Pimp Snooky" and apparently built a network of sex-for-sale entrepreneurs who traveled across the country, including Milwaukee, Chicago and Las Vegas.

Avery was featured on a 1999 HBO documentary called "Pimps Up, Ho's Down," which captured him doing his dirty business for the cameras. (Another alleged Milwaukee pimp, Ken Ivy, a.k.a. "Pimpin' Ken," was also featured in the film.)

In the documentary, Avery explained his philosophy of pimping, which basically came down to finding weak-minded young women and girls to exploit. Avery and other pimps described it as a form of mind control; according to some experts, it's no surprise many of the girls came from dysfunctional homes with no positive male role models.

That might be one reason so many of them end up calling their pimps "Daddy."

Avery's arrest was just the latest case involving a Milwaukeean busted on accusations of this kind of sex trafficking. In February, a federal grand jury indicted a Milwaukee father and son team charged with running a sex ring featuring young women. Several high-profile drug dealers were also involved in prostitution activities on the side.

This is a city where, legend has it, a Players' Ball featuring pimps from all over the region was held years ago at a respectable downtown hotel. According to the story, nobody realized what kind of affair had been booked until after all the flashy black guys in jewelry and fur coats started showing up with women in short, tight skirts on their arms.

I have known about several black-owned nightclubs over the years with reputations for being havens for local pimps. I have also interviewed youth counselors and social workers who believe what many of the young girls seduced into a life of prostitution have in common is a crippling lack of self-esteem easily manipulated by smooth-talking older men.

The glorification of pimps in hip-hop culture has also contributed to the problem. Back in 1969, a Chicago pimp named Iceberg Slim published a popular autobiographical novel called "Pimp: The Story of My Life," that defined the genre for a generation. Slim's real name was Robert Beck; he was born in Chicago but spent significant parts of his childhood in Milwaukee.

I remember reading "Pimp" as a teenager; back then, it was considered one of those "dirty books" you had to hide from parents.

I don't believe Milwaukee's in danger of becoming a pimp capital, but recent cases speak to the larger danger facing many young women and girls in the community. They need to be on guard against slick father figures out there who want to make you sell not just your body but your soul.

What kind of daddy would make you to do that?