“What are you doing here?” Lenny asked
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“What are you doing here?” Lenny asked.
“| didn’ t want to show them my ID.”
“You schmuck.”
Lenny was released on bail, but the head of the Vice Squad warned
the Gate of Horn manager: “If this man ever uses a four-letter word in
this club again, I'm going to pinch you and everyone in here. If he ever
speaks against religion, I'm going to pinch you and everyone in here. Do
you understand? You've had good people here. But he mocks the pope--
and I'm speaking as a Catholic--l'm here to tell you your license is in
danger. We're going to have someone here watching every show.”
And indeed, the Gate of Horn's liquor license was suspended. There
were no previous allegations against the club, and the current charge
involved neither violence nor drunken behavior. The only charge pressed
by the city prosecutor was Lenny Bruce's allegedly obscene performance.
Nobody’ s prurience was aroused, but that made no difference. After all,
there wasn’ t any law against blasphemy.
“Chicago is so corrupt, it’ s thrilling,” Lenny said.
Chicago had the largest membership in the Roman Catholic Church
of any archdiocese in the country. Lenny’'s jury consisted entirely of
Catholics. The judge was Catholic. The prosecutor and his assistant were
HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_015364
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