Harry Mohney: From Drive-in Porn Theaters To Strip Club Empires In Michigan

Michigan has produced more than just music stars, actors, and scholars.

When most people are asked about the most famous and influential people in Michigan, they'll say names like Bob Seger, Stevie Wonder, Henry Ford, Mike Ilitch, and others. However, you probably won't hear anyone mention the name Harry Mohney, who has a net worth of $1.5 million.

So who is Harry Mohney? Well, let's start from the beginning. Harry Mohney was born in Durand, Michigan on May 30th, 1943. As a young man in the 1960s, Mohney got a job as a projectionist in his hometown at the local drive-in movie theater. That is where the PG portion of this story ends.

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As the drive-in theater began to fail, Mohney had an idea to try and save the business. That idea was to turn the family-friendly drive-in theater into a drive-in porn theater that became known as the "Durand Dirties." From there, the idea exploded into a huge business with around 300 adult movie theaters and stores across the country.

SEE ALSO: Did You Know Durand, Michigan Had a XXX Drive-In?

Mohney quickly became the largest distributor of pornography in the world starting in the late 60s all the way up to the mid-90s. In 1971, many credited Harry Mohney as being the pioneer of the modern strip club. Later in 1987, the first Deja VU strip club was opened in Seattle and the company has grown from there.

If we fast forward to the present day, Mohney owns around 132 strip clubs and many other adult businesses across the nation and in other countries. Deja Vu Services, Inc. has many brands in operation including Little Darlings, Larry Flynt's HUSTLER Club, and more.

Source: Wikipedia