Richard Basciano

Richard Basciano is an American property developer active in New York City and Philadelphia.[1]

In the 1970s and 1980s, Basciano's real estate empire was centered on the Show World Center, New York's largest and oldest sex emporium. He was dubbed the porn king of Times Square in press reports.[2] Perhaps his best-known property in Philadelphia was the Forum Theatre, an adult theatre.

In early June, 2013, a building controlled by Basciano at 2136 Market Street in Philadelphia collapsed during demolition, killing six and injuring 13.[3]

By the mid-1990s, the adult entertainment industry was undergoing rapid change. Efforts by the city to sanitize Times Square compounded the widespread adoption of VCRs.[4] Operating through STB Investment Group and other firms, Basciano sold his properties as neighborhoods became gentrified.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Forum Theater almost completely razed; neighbors next in line, by Alex Rudinski, Philadelphia Real Estate Blog, 1 March 2013
  2. ↑ The Fading Neon of Times Square's Sex Shops;Elusive, Undisputed King of Midtown Pornography May Be Forced Out of Business, by Dan Barry, New York TImes, 28 October 1995
  3. ↑ Building Collapse: Owner Is Richard “Porn King” Basciano, a Sam Rappaport Alum, by Liz Spinkol, Phillymag.com, 5 June 2013
  4. ↑ The Fading Neon of Times Square's Sex Shops;Elusive, Undisputed King of Midtown Pornography May Be Forced Out of Business, by Dan Barry, New York TImes, 28 October 1995
  5. ↑ Forum Theater almost completely razed; neighbors next in line, by Alex Rudinski, Philadelphia Real Estate Blog, 1 March 2013


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