We Only Close for Revolutions: the Sex Trade, the Mob, and the Cuban Revolution

In this BONUS EPISODE of An Offer You Can't Refuse, Pettengill takes of the matter of an illicit sex trade that thrived in Havana as the Mafia's grip on the local economy tightened. He explores the "shows" at the infamous Theato Shanghai and analyzes it in the context of mid-twentieth century sexual norms to demonstrate how and why the Shanghai captured the imagination of American tourists. Pettengill also explores the career of Roderico "Rodney" Neyra and how his career as a choreographer allowed him to fuse Cuban culture with his dance shows at the Tropicana.