Attorney General Edwin Sturman's Empire Of The Obscene

The third and final essay of the book is titled Empire of the obscene. Empire of the obscene traces the history of the pornography industry. The essay begins by convey the decision made by Attorney General Edwin Meese III’s commission on pornography. The commission outlined the harmful effects and called for strict enforcement of federal obscenity laws. The author then introduces the reader to Reuben Sturman. Sturman was a business man from Cleveland that formed an international media conglomerate that dealt in adult entertainment. Although it is legal today at one point in history pornography was strictly prohibited. According to Schlosser the American pornography industry was created in 1953, when Hugh Hefner created the first playboy. The

The criminals were arrested and were traced back to Sturman. The book then begins to focus on the hunt for the escaped Sturman. The book next gives a short overview of anther business man in the contraceptive business. On February 9, 1993 U.S. marshals arrested Reuben Sturman in Anaheim, California. Also subpoenaed were Stephanie and Douglas Freidman, who had helped him escape. They revealed Sturman’s efforts to bribe a judge as well as tamper with the jury. On March 10, 1993, Sturman was indicted for extortion in Chicago. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit extortion by the jury. Next, the author talks evolution of the pornography industry in response to the invention of the internet. The author also details Sturman’s return to prison and his death while incarcerated. Afterwards, Schlosser describes how he meet with Sturman before his death. The essays focus is then next shifted towards the use of underground business practice used today in traditional businesses. The author then discussed how that the economy is best when it experiences with a system of checks and balances of their own. Furthermore, he addresses his own view addressed in the