European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 15, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday february 15, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 7 Sec clears Sale of Nevada Brothe interest High in shares of Mustang ranch Reno Nevada up the . Securities and Exchange commission has cleared the Way for the Sale of $23.3 million Worth of shares in Nevada s largest Legal Brothel arousing intense interest on the part of brokers traders said monday. Longtime Brothel owners Joe and Sally Conforte Are Selling the two sex palaces and 400 acres of land to a publicly traded corporation called Mustang ranch inc., headed by Reno lawyer Peter a. Perry and real estate Developer Donald Clough. I be been in this business 35 years and that s Long enough Conforte 63, said. I Hope to have my $18 million in 30 Days and then Conforte and the Mustang ranch Are  he said $12 to $13 million would go for Back taxes and another $4 million to $5 million will be require for capital gains. Kevin Ward chief financial officer of american Wal Street securities inc. Of Tampa fla., the under writers for the Stock said the Sec Friday agreed to Register the Stock. Ward said he Hopes to have full commitments by the end of the week on sales to brokers. The Stock willbe sold for $20 a share. Interest is exceeding the Supply said Ward. Many people he said consider it a Novelty investment rather than one to make Money. The National association of Security dealers has approved the securities and Ward said he has gotten clearance to sell the Stock in new York Washington d,c., Georgia Florida Illinois and Colorado. He is expecting approval from new Jersey Connecticut an Nevada. There will not be any sales in California and Texas Ward said because of the strict securities Laws in those states. He said those two states do not approve Many issues. Anywhere from 50 to 90 women work at the two buildings East of Reno. The prostitutes rent a room usually for $10 a Day and Promise to split what the yearn from customers with management. The profits from the business reportedly Are More than $900,000 a year. The  Fortes have operated the Brothel at different locations since the 1960s. Since that time Conforte has served prison terms for extortion and twice for tax evasion. In Nevada prostitution is illegal in Las vegas Reno and several of the other major cities but is permitted at local option in the Rural counties. The prospectus on the business warns investors there Are risks such As aids and venereal disease. Condoms Are now required by the state and there has not been a single Case of aids detected in a Nevada Brothel. Dukakis under fire Over state budget problems Boston a for gov. Michael Dukakis the hard times did t end with his defeat in the presidential election. The severe state budget problems that haunted the final stages of his Campaign have Hurt his support. Political allies have started attacking him Over the Defi Cit and his decision that More taxes Are the Only Way to balance the books. Meanwhile fatigue and depression associated with the presidential Campaign led to wife Kitty entering an alcohol treatment program. And a recent Public opinion poll found him about As popular As a swim unpolluted Boston Harbor. I Don t believe i can remember a Massachusetts governor who went from that High to such a relatively Low period in such a Short period of time said John Volpe former Republican governor. Most of Dukakis friends maintain that his stoicism is seeing him through. I Don t see a Mike Dukakis who is worn Down or torn Down by these events said Boston attorney Paul Brountas chairman of Dukakis presidential Campaign and a personal Friend. If Dukakis occasionally seems distracted it is because the family is obviously the most important consideration Brountas said. Since becoming a lame Duck by announcing in january that he won t run for governor again Dukakis has wrestled with some of the biggest problems to fac estate government in years. Michael Dukakis gestures As he addresses the state House taxation committee. And he is doing it without the usual support. On sunday for the first time in his political career Dukakis favo ability rating had dipped below 50 percent. The poll of 603 democrats and independents by Secretary of state Michael Connoll showed Only 43.5 percent rating the governor favourably. On monday Dukakis went before Testate House taxation committee to de fend a $735 million tax increase proposal. He says he needs the Money to help close a $600 million budget Gap this year and keep next year s budget in balance. All this for a politician who in 1986, won re election by better than a 2-1 mar Gin who gained the democratic presidential nomination and who As recently As december had a favourable rating among democrats of 83 percent. Since the presidential election Dukakis has occasionally shown More fire than he did on the Campaign Trail. In his state of the state address for example he called his opponents on fiscal issues gutless won  and on monday he was More aggressive than usual at a state budget hear ing blasting legislators As being free spenders while opposing tax increases. Brountas. Said Dukakis is if anything in a better position to handle his current political troubles than he was on the presidential Campaign Trail. Amid the at tacks by opponent George Bush on such subjects As furloughs for prisoners and the unclean Waters of Boston Harbor Dukakis was unable to get his message through. Duquesne Campus paper closed in juror Over and Pittsburgh a Duquesne University s Campus newspaper has been shut Down by the Stu Dent government in a dispute reportedly resulting from a birth control advertisement. The decision was made because of serious con Cerns unrelated to the Duke s the newspaper s editorial Content said Happy Meltzer president of the roman Catholic school s student government. But an attorney for the paper Joel a. Klein said As far As we know it is Over the and. It s a form of censorship. But it s More than censorship. I see it As the latest attempt to gain control of the student newspaper so it is no longer an Independent voice of the  editors recently refused Meltzer s request to pull an and by family planning services regarding confidential contraceptive counselling. Meltzer said Mon Day the and was inappropriate because it conflicted with the Mission of the roman Catholic College. The student government association appropriates funds to various student organizations. This year it gave $10,000 to the Duke which also Gener ates Money through advertising. In 1984, the University administration suspended the Duke because of an april fool s Day parody that included references to sexual acts and sex organs. Student government really got on the bandwagon then trying to repress the paper Klein said. It s been simmering Ever since. They re using the Adas a pretext to go after the paper on the larger Issue of control part of which is its Independent  Ann Rago a Duquesne spokeswoman said the University has nothing to do with the controversy because it is a conflict among students. 5 civilians Hurt in Blaze at Navy  depot � la it a to fat � at a a Leonardo . A a fire on a Barge late monday night at the naval am munition depot in Earle injured five men one seriously before it was brought under control Early tuesday officials said. The five civilians were on a Jack up Rig used to probe the Bottom of Raritan Bay said Gary Potterfield a spokesman for the weapons handling station. They jumped off the Barge one of them was injured seriously he said. It remained unclear How the fire started on the Barge which officials said measured 40 feet by 80 feet and was about 100 Yards off a pier. The Blaze was controlled Early tues Day and everybody was accounted for a Navy spokesman said. The five injured men worked for the Hans Padron surveying company the spokesman said though he did not know where the company is based or How it could be reached for comment. The coast guard was alerted at 10 50 . And the fire was brought under control before 12 30 a.m., said spokesman Jeff Nickerson. He said the coast guard dispatched five vessels to fight the Blaze. The Riverview medical Center treated one Man for Burns Over 30 to 40 percent of his body. The others were taken to Bay Shore Community Hospital in Holmdel. About 700 civilians and about 400 military people work at the base which is used to Load and unload weapons Potterfield said