Times Square in New York in the 1970s was a hub of the sex industry in the 1970s. It was also where the notorious serial killer Richard Cottingham found most of his victims. Netflix’s ‘Crime scene: The Times Square Killer’ probes the case of Richard Cottingham’s murder and examines how sexually active were at risk in Times Square. The series also explores the way Martin Hodas became a successful businessman through the creation of peep shows as well as live sex performances at Times Square. Let’s learn more about him, will we?
Who was Martin Hodas?
Martin Hodas’ family fled Europe and eventually settled in the United States. Following his arrival, Martin first arrived in Brooklyn, New York. There were many odd jobs, such as polishing shoes and selling newspapers to earn a living. In 1966, he discovered old film-loop equipment in the basement of an establishing New Jersey business. Martin later decided to utilize the machines to play p*rn, which was the beginning of his climb to fame.
Martin created the peep show machine in a bookshop located in Times Square, which became an instant hit. The result was that others began to line up to install the machines in their stores in hopes of a similar attendance. At one time, Martin said he made approximately $30,000 in just one week. He soon became known as”the “King of the Peeps,” and he expanded into other things.
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After the success of his Peep Shows, Martin began shooting and selling his own movies. Martin was also a host of live sex shows for the public to see. Because all these brought profits and the family enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle, they also faced many issues. Martin had a wife, Paula artist, who had bipolar. They had four children and Romola, the oldest, stated that they grew up in an abusive family. As she said, Martin held many parties with swings at the house that was filled with alcohol and drugs as the kids walked around.
Romola stated she was told that Martin had a problem with her weight as an infant and was repeatedly humiliated or beat her. in the 70s, Martin received a conviction for income tax fraud and was sentenced to approximately a year in jail. Martin also found himself in minor legal trouble other times for things such as public nuisance. In the late 80s, the federal government began imposing stricter rules on live sex shows and peep shows, which led to Martin’s business being shut down.
How Did Martin Hodas Die? Is Romola Hodas Now?
Martin later opened a second location within Miami, Florida, that offered *orn and live entertainment. He operated the establishment for over two decades, then sold the business before his death. The year 2013 was the last time Martin passed away from chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the age group of 82. Son’s daughter Romola was adamant that she loved her father, despite her troubled childhood. She studied psychology at the University of Toronto and has since spoken out regarding mental health awareness.
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After Martin’s demise, the author wrote a book called ‘The Princess Of 42nd Street: How I Survived my Childhood As the daughter of the King of Times Square’s P*rn’. In her memoir, she reflected on her tough childhood. She wrote, “I wasn’t going to be among those who took their lives. I was determined to live the way I wanted to live. It’s possible that it was my nature to be born with this type of determination. I was not going to surrender. I didn’t want to be a victim to Marty Hodas.” Today the actress lives in Queens, New York, and is the director of Creating Harmony, a program designed to help people manage their alcohol consumption more effectively.
