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Statue of a young 19^th-century prostitute with her "pimp".

A pimp finds and manages clients for prostitutes and engages them in prostitution (in brothels in most cases and some cases street prostitution) in order to profit from their earnings. Typically, a pimp will not force prostitutes to stay with him, although some have been known to be abusive in order to keep their prostitutes submissive or to maximize profits. A pimp may also offer to protect his prostitutes from rival pimps and prostitutes, or from abusive clients. He can also enable a prostitute to work in a particular area under his control. Pimping is illegal in many countries.

Most people who work managing prostitutes are men, but some women work in this capacity as well, though rarely in street prostitution. Women are rarely called pimps, as the word implies male dominance (see Pimps in Popular Culture below) - a woman who manages prostitutes is generally called a mamasan or a madam. (This should not be confused with the title of respect given to adult women in most English-speaking countries.)

Often^{[citation needed]}, low level pimps will initially present themselves as lovers or father-figures to prostitutes (who may be run-aways or otherwise lack a family network) before introducing them to prostitution and perhaps drug addiction. This practice is called "turning out." Pimp-prostitute can be abusive, using psychological intimidation, manipulation and physical force to control the members in the "stable".

Pimp Business

Criminal law
Part of the common law series
Criminal elements
Actus reus · Causation · Concurrence
Mens rea · Intention · Recklessness
Criminal negligence · Ignorantia juris…
Strict, Corporate & Vicarious liability
Crimes against people
Assault · Battery · Robbery
Sexual offences · Pimping · Rape
Kidnapping · Manslaughter · Murder
Crimes against property
Criminal damage · Arson
Theft · Burglary · Deception
Crimes against justice
Obstruction of justice · Bribery
Perjury · Malfeasance in office
Inchoate offenses
Attempt
Conspiracy · Accessory
Criminal defenses
Automatism, Intoxication & Mistake
Insanity · Diminished responsibility
Duress · Necessity
Provocation · Self defence
Other areas of the common law
Contract law · Tort law · Property law
Wills and trusts · Evidence
Portals: Law · Criminal justice

In 2004 two pimps were convicted in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and of violations of other criminal statutes.^[1] Both of the defendants appealed their convictions.^[1] The 11th Circuit rejected all of the pimps' appeals, but because the court needed to support the RICO claim it went into a detailed description of a pimp's business, including special pimp terms and business tactics.^[1] Although some may scoff at the labeling of pimping as a business, it is clear from the Pipkins case that the pimps had rules, regulations, a business structure, and even their own language.

First, as to business structure, pimps operate a multi-tiered business. There is even a series of pimp videos, produced by pimps themselves, that illustrate how the business should be run.^[2] Recently, a book on pimping has gained a tremendous amount of popularity and is featured in Self-Help and Business sections of most famous booksellers.^[3]

As to the business structure, at the top there is the pimp who runs the business. Below the pimp is the "Bottom Girl." She acts in a way like an office manager, keeping tabs on the "track" when the pimp is away, keeping the pimp appraised of the law enforcement activity, and collecting money from the prostitutes.^[1] The Bottom Girl can be especially important when the pimp is incarcerated.^[1] In addition, under the Bottom Girl, the pimp may employ a "wife-in-law" who has similar duties as the Bottom Girl. Below that there is the bevy of normal prostitutes.

The pimps even recognize a hierarchy among themselves. The least respected, or newer pimps, are the "popcorn pimps," "wanna-bes, and "hustlers." A pimp who uses violence and intimidation to control his prostitutes is called a "gorilla pimp," while those pimps that use psychological trickery to deceive the younger prostitutes into becoming hooked into the system are called "finesse pimps." Lastly, the successful and established pimps are called "players."

An important part of the business of pimping is obtaining, and maintaining, a selection of prostitutes. The rules allow prostitutes to move from one pimp to another by "choosing."^[1] To choose, the prostitute is first supposed to make her intentions known to the new pimp. This intentions period is most likely to allow prospective pimps to reject the prostitutes intentions. If the prospective pimp wants the new prostitute to work for him he will then accept money from the new prostitute. This money exchange is referred to as "breaking bread."^[1] The new pimp is then supposed to inform the old pimp of the change, and possibly some of the bread from the moving prostitute is exchanged. Losing your girl to another Pimp is known as getting "Peeled". Informing a Pimp that he's been peeled is a professional courtesy and any attempt to respond to this courtesy with violence will quickly get you dubbed a "Gorilla" or "Godzilla". Prostitutes that move between pimps often are labeled as a "choosey Susie." In addition, a prostitute may "bounce" from pimp to pimp with out paying the "pimp moving" tax.

With rules, inevitably come people who break the rules. The pimp business has an internal structure for dealing with rule breakers, and, not surprisingly, it is a structure built around violence. For example, pimps have been known to employ a "pimp stick," which is two coat hangers wrapped together, in order to subdue unruly prostitutes.^[1] Another punishment for unruly prostitutes is to "trunk" them. The pimps lock the prostitutes in the trunk of a car to teach them a lesson. In addition, although prostitutes are supposedly free to move between pimps, the movement between pimps sometimes leads to violence. For example, a prostitute could be punished for merely looking at another pimp; this is considered "reckless eyeballing."^[1]

Other uses

A pimp can also mean "a despicable person".^[4] In the first years of the 21st century, however, a new meaning of the word has emerged in the form of a transitive verb which means "to decorate" or "to gussy." The instigator for this new definition stems from Pimp My Ride, an MTV television show. Although the new paid homage to hip-hop culture, it has now entered common, even mainstream commercial, use.^[5] In medical context, the verb also means "To ask (a student) a question for the purpose of testing his knowledge."^[6]

Notable pimps/madams

• Iceberg Slim
• Charles Manson
• Al Capone^[7]
• Dennis Hof
• Heidi Fleiss
• Sally Stanford
• Polly Adler
• Lucky Luciano
• Deborah Jeane Palfrey
• Elizabeth Needham
• Anna Wilson (madame) - Pioneer madame in Omaha, Nebraska
• Suga Free
• Al Swearengen
• Ah Toy

References

External links

• U.S. DOJ guide to street prostitution
• Pimp Anthropology, radio show from This American Life featuring an interview with a former pimp.
• Examination into Pimps and Prostitutes