Prostitution in Los Angeles in the 19th century was centered in Los Angeles ' red-light district and was controlled by powerful male figures. The business of prostitution thrived due to its proximity to a working-class male subculture in the red-light district. Chinese prostitutes were particularly prominent in the crib district. The sex industry was largely male dominated, specifically by Tom Savage and Bartolo Ballerino. They both built their reputations using political alliances which solidified their hold on the crib district in Los Angeles.
This area contained saloons, restaurants and brick buildings with small rooms known as cribs. Most didn't live in the cribs and only used them for prostitution while boarding in houses uptown. Cribs were filled with drug abuse, physical violence, and suicide because of the pimps.
When reform efforts started they saw the cribs as a much worse form of prostitution compared to the brothels and parlor houses. Although women working in the crib district worked in the worst conditions, they were given more freedom to come and go within the industry and had more control over their income and hours compared to those working in the brothels.
Many Chinese immigrants came to Los Angeles beginning in the s and moved onto the block dominated by Negro Alley. One year later, the number increased almost threefold. The Chinese population grew at a higher rate than the total population. By , a census listed that out of Chinese, 36 of them were women and many of these women worked as prostitutes. Chinese prostitutes in Los Angeles display the worst experiences of prostitution. They had the least amount of autonomy, fewest benefits, and had the worst working conditions.
Chinese tongs , powerful secret organizations of men, controlled Chinese prostitutes in Los Angeles. Almost all women working under tongs were forced to become prostitutes in America. The main function of the tongs was to provide social and fraternal needs to its members.
