Friday, Sept. 12, 2003 | 6:09 a.m.
ON HIS WEBSITE in the race for California's governor, Hustler magazine publisher Larry Flynt calls himself the "smut peddler who cares."
In Las Vegas the legendary pornographer soon might be calling himself the strip club operator who cares.
We should expect nothing less from the valley's topsy turvy topless nightclub industry, which in recent months has been rocked by allegations of political corruption and high-stakes infighting.
The 61-year-old Flynt, who has made millions of dollars selling pornographic magazines, confirmed through his publicist late last week that he wants to get into the lucrative gentlemen's club market here.
"He's looking for a location in Las Vegas to open a new Hustler Club, but nothing has been finalized, spokeswoman Kim Dower said.
Larry Flynt -- sex industry kingpin, self-described "scoundrel" and all-around critic of the conservative establishment -- a member of the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce?
Why not?
This is Las Vegas, where, as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority proudly points out in national television ads, "What happens here, stays here."
If the wheelchair-bound Flynt becomes a player here, think of all the additional publicity he can shower on Sin City through Hustler and his other adult magazine, Barely Legal.
Who needs the Travel Channel?
Flynt already has the right nightclub formula to fit into the booming strip club scene.
In cities such as Paris, New Orleans and San Francisco, Flynt's Hustler Clubs offer the same amenities (plush booths, VIP lounges, multiple stages and even restaurants), as any upscale joint in Las Vegas.
By no small coincidence Las Vegas has several local cabarets primed for Flynt's taking.
Mike Galardi, the embattled owner of Cheetahs, Jaguars and Leopard Lounge, is preparing to give up his clubs after pleading guilty in federal court last week to paying off three San Diego councilman. Galardi, it seems, is embarking on a new and more challenging career as a government witness.
Dower wouldn't confirm that Flynt is eyeing any of Galardi's clubs, but I'm told the Hustler magnate has had discussions with Galardi's father, Jack Galardi, who co-owns Cheetah's, about getting into the local market.
Assuming the reigns of the posh Jaguars, for example, would be very easy for a guy with Flynt's bankroll. All he'd have to do is plop down a few million bucks, change the sign outside and start calling the dancers Hustler Honeys.
Flynt, left paralyzed by a 1978 shooting in Georgia, where he was standing trial on obscenity charges, has been no stranger to Las Vegas over the years. On the Strip, he's regarded as a "whale," a high-roller who once boasted of winning $4 million during a single blackjack outing. Flynt even runs his own casino in Southern California and is campaigning for governor on a platform of expanding gambling.
With his colorful history, getting a local strip club license won't be a cakewalk for Flynt. On the other hand, if he's passed muster in other communities, he should have no trouble making the grade here, especially when you consider the caliber of some licensees local authorities have approved in the past.
At least Flynt hasn't pleaded guilty to paying off any politicians.
Longtime topless club operator Pete Eliades, co-owner of the Olympic Garden and a major investor in Sapphire's, said he's been hearing talk of Flynt's interest in the Las Vegas market for a couple of months now.
With his usual confidence, Eliades said he welcomes the competition.
"One more ain't going to hurt," he said. "Bring him on."
Yeah, bring on Larry Flynt.
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