Alan Markovitz (Deadline Detroit photo)
Alan Markovitz (Deadline Detroit photo)
Strip club owner Alan Markovitz has had his share of headlines. He's been shot and wounded at his clubs twice over the years; once by a stripper. He's the author of an autobiography, and he was the star for one season of an HBO/Cinemax reality show called "Topless Prophet."
Now, Markovitz, who owns the Penthouse Club and The Coliseum strip clubs on 8 Mile Road in Detroit, is once again making headlines.
Current and former strippers at those clubs filed a class action suit in U.S. District Court in Detroit earlier this month alleging that he intentionally misclassified employees as independent contractors and not only circumvented federal wage laws by failing to pay them minimum wage, but forced them to pay him to dance there, Metro Times reports. He also forced them to share tips with other employees.
"In 2010, Markovitz authored an autobiography where he describes the clubs he owns (or has owned in the past) and admits to the unlawful policies and practices he uses to pay the Class members which are at issue in this lawsuit," the lawsuit says.
Markovitz settled a similar suit by dancers at the same clubs in 2014 for an undisclosed sum, reports Violet Ikonomova of Metro Times.
Related coverage:
Topless Prophet: Local King of Strip to Star in Reality TV Show, Octr. 9, 2013
