We are just one week away from Frontierado 2026, so let me squeeze in this darker blog post well in advance.
AH TOY – This Chinese American woman rose to notoriety in the San Francisco sex trade of the 1800s. Yes, Frontierado is about the myth of the Old West, not the grinding reality but I’ve never done a blog post specifically about a Madame of the time period. It’s a fine line to walk and I want to make it clear that this item is more of a True Crime story than anything like an adventure.
Ah Toy rose from “working girl” to runner of her own sex industry franchise, often outmaneuvering white gangsters and Tong Lords alike when they tried muscling in on her operation.
In the end, it took corrupt politicians working in conjunction with organized crime to pass new legislation that stopped Ah Toy cold and also furthered injustices against Chinese Americans of the 1800s. Continue reading
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