Dark Chicago    The City    Neighborhoods    New City      Chris' Brothel

"Joke around here is its "The Pussy Palace". While that is some fantastic innuendo, it ain't as vulgar as you're thinkin'. Guy that use to run the place, Chris, had a way with cats. Fed 'em, nursed 'em, they seemed to feel safe around him. Sometimes it was like there were a hundred of 'em around the place.

Description – Exterior

Tucked behind a sagging iron fence and a dying elm tree just off Halsted, the building looks like a weathered three-story walk-up from the outside—red brick faded to rust, windows shuttered or curtained, with a crooked sign above the door that once read “Rooms by the Week.” Now the front steps are kept cleaner, the stoop freshly swept, and the air smells faintly of perfume and stale smoke. A lone bulb flickers above the entryway after dark, casting long shadows over the sidewalk where Chris bled out. Many of the cats the old gang leader once tended and loved still consider the place home and are as much a fixture as the peeling paint on the window sills they perch on.

Description – Interior

Inside, the air is thick with incense, sweat, and whiskey. The wallpaper peels under red light bulbs and the carpets are threadbare but clean. The parlor is narrow, with mismatched chairs, a piano that’s more for show than sound, and a small bar with a locked cash drawer. Upstairs, rooms are cramped but dressed up with cheap velvet and better locks. A buzzer system connects the front to each floor. The back office still holds Chris’ desk—bullet hole and all—now used by the Sinners to keep track of debts, protection payoffs, and rotation schedules.

Owner

Formerly: Chris Dailey – Deceased. Killed by a rival gang (likely Halsted Boys or their proxies) right outside the front stoop.
Currently: The Southside Sinners – They stepped in after the murder, claimed the building, and kept the girls working—with new rules and tighter security.

Employees

Pete - Chris' old second in command who now manages the place for the Sinners.

Pete's Uncle - The name on the mortgage, the elderly WWII veteran still lives in a first floor apartment in the back of the building. He's fully aware of what goes on in the building but couldn't care less and is something of a grandfather figure for many of the girls.

Sasha – Sharp-tongued madam who’s taken over day-to-day operations. She doesn’t trust the Sinners yet, but she’s pragmatic.

Nina – Younger worker with a protective streak for the others. She saw Chris die and hasn’t been the same since.

Tonya & Cinnamon - Two of the girls who remained loyal and stuck it out even when the bullets were flying.

Calvin – Doorman and muscle. Former boxer with a busted jaw and a quiet streak. Keeps a sawed-off under the register.

Two rotating Fangs posted – Either watching for trouble, escorting clients out, or collecting payments from regulars.

History

The building was a flop house until Chris took it over as a Five Four venture. It thrived under the table, offering warmth and privacy in the cold mess of Halsted. Chris ran it well—too well. His murder was public, messy, and meant as a message. With the blessing of Chris' cousin Ledger Huges, the Sinners moved in fast, turning the brothel into both a moneymaker and a message of their own: Halsted is no longer neutral ground.

Notes

More and more Pete is growing convinced that a smokey gray cat that started coming around right after Chris was killed is actually his old friend in new form.

A shrine of candles and silk still stands inside the foyer where Chris died. Some girls insist it keeps the cops away.

Rumors swirl that Chris hid something in the building—a stash, blackmail material, or a list of names. The Sinners haven’t found it.