Portsmouth rulers go after swingers

[KBCraig]

A classic case of "why is this news?", and the obvious answer is: "because we want to keep focusing attention on these people."

I'll be interested to know if the interaction was a result of the publicity.


http://www.unionleader.com/article.aspx?headline=A+swing+too+many+for+swinger&articleId=39d491f2-5ffb-4760-869d-03b45f1f0444

A swing too many for swinger

By RICK DUMONT
Union Leader Correspondent

PORTSMOUTH ? The leader of The Middle Door swinger's club is due to be arraigned on simple assault charges Feb.26.

Joseph Ranguette, 71, was arrested Jan. 19 for the alleged Jan. 12 assaults of a woman and her 21-year-old son.

According to court documents, Ranguette allegedly pushed the woman in the chest and punched the young man in the face during a dispute outside their Cutty Street apartments.

Ranguette declined to comment on the charges or the situation involving his club to the New Hampshire Union Leader when reached by phone yesterday afternoon.

He is free on personal recognizance bail.

On the swingers.com Web site, The Middle Door is described as a "friendly, safe place where couples can come and enjoy themselves." The site describes various sexual devices that can be used by patrons of the club.

The club, which has apparently been in operation for nearly two decades, came under intense media scrutiny last month after someone filed a complaint with police about the sexual activities allegedly going on inside the three-family building.

City officials issued a cease-and-desist order to Ranguette in March 2006 after a complaint about parking, city attorney Bob Sullivan said. Since that time, Sullivan said the club's activities have been monitored by police and city officials, and that "parties" at the house have "waxed and waned."

Sullivan said he believes Ranguette has shut down the weekend parties.

[Pat K]

If when I am 71, I can still punch a 21 year old in the face,
I will be a happy man.

[warhorse_03826]

I'll be interested to know if the interaction was a result of the publicity.

actually, it was a direct result.

Jan, the woman in question here, had been living as a guest of Joe's in his house since the spring. she has been a friend of the family for over 20 years. normally her and her sons live full-time at a campground, but it had been flooded out and Joe offered for them to live there. the sons had other accommodations, but stayed during the week because it was closer to where they worked. they all knew about the parties.

I guess the sons were receiving some flack at work for living in the house that the parties are held at. how people at their work knew..the only way I can figure was they couldn't keep their mouths shut..it's not like they had mailing addresses there or anything.

Jan decided to leave, because the reporters sticking cameras in her face whenever she left the house. I can understand that. but instead of just leaving she decided that she had to have a confrontation with Joe first. she pushed, he held her back. the son saw an "attack in progress" and decided to get involved. from what Joe tells me he left a nice imprint of his face in the dining room table.

as far as their "cease and desist" letter was concerned I suspect it was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying Beware of the Leopard, because none of us had ever heard of it or seen it. and as far as "waxed and waned"..well that's usual. we don't have as many couples at every party..we've had as few as 2 (middle of a blizzard) and as high as 20 (Halloween '04) but we usually get 8-12. this can vary for any reason under the sun..and since we never took reservations or had a guest list (for privacy reasons..unlike some places that have guest lists for the last 5 years and used to publish them online) we never really knew who was coming either.

[KBCraig]

Thanks for the update.