“What are you doing here?” Lenny asked. “| didn’ t want to show them my ID.” “You schmuck.”
Lenny was released on bail, but the head of the Vice Squad warned the Gate of Horn manager: “If this man ever uses a four-letter word in this club again, I'm going to pinch you and everyone in here. If he ever speaks against religion, I'm going to pinch you and everyone in here. Do you understand? You've had good people here. But he mocks the pope-- and I'm speaking as a Catholic--l'm here to tell you your license is in danger. We're going to have someone here watching every show.”
And indeed, the Gate of Horn's liquor license was suspended. There were no previous allegations against the club, and the current charge involved neither violence nor drunken behavior. The only charge pressed by the city prosecutor was Lenny Bruce's allegedly obscene performance. Nobody’ s prurience was aroused, but that made no difference. After all, there wasn’ t any law against blasphemy.
“Chicago is so corrupt, it’ s thrilling,” Lenny said.
Chicago had the largest membership in the Roman Catholic Church
of any archdiocese in the country. Lenny’'s jury consisted entirely of
Catholics. The judge was Catholic. The prosecutor and his assistant were
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