Exotic Male Dancers Take to Boards at Bar

CORONA —  Exotic male dancers strutted their stuff for a crowd of 200 at a tavern on the city’s east side Friday night, the first such performance under an entertainment permit a court ordered the City Council to issue.

The council had denied the permit to Andrew Papac, owner of Bootleggers bar on Magnolia Avenue, on the recommendation of Acting Police Chief Sam Lowery, who said the dancing and female oil wrestling Papac proposed would place an unreasonable burden on the Corona Police Department.

Papac challenged the council’s action in Riverside County Superior Court, claiming it violated First Amendment guarantees of free expression. Judge J. David Hennigan agreed, and ordered the city to issue a permit.

The City Council voted 3 to 1, with Mayor Bill Miller dissenting and William Franklin absent, to grant the permit Wednesday night.

Alex Trousas, general manager of Bootleggers bar and an adjacent restaurant, said the male dancers are scheduled to appear at the club every Friday night. He suggested shows may be added on Saturdays if demand warrants.

In April, an attorney representing Papac’s company, Corona-Magnolia Enterprises Inc., estimated that the exotic male dancing would bring Bootleggers at least $7,000 a week in additional business.

The bar will present female oil wrestling shows on Wednesday evenings, beginning next week, Trousas said.