Interview: Lisa Cintrice on Her Adventures in Early ‘80s NYC

Forty years ago, New York City was a very different place. Dirty, dangerous, crazy, and too much fun for anyone’s good, this city was a cauldron of depravity, culture, and craziness. You didn’t live in NYC back then, you survived it – and no one survived it or had more fun in it than Lisa Cintrice.

A great beauty from Long Island and Queens, Lisa endured a rough childhood and made it to NYC, falling quickly into the adult film and club scene. She lived in the heart of Funky Town, a sexy and wild Bohemia, a time and place that has become mythic – although, as she makes clear, it came at a price.

Eventually, Lisa moved away and changed her life.

Lisa was kind enough to answer some questions about her life in early 1980s NYC, and she has some wild stories! She tells us about her early life, a memorable stunt she pulled off in Times Square, a unique record she holds, why she eventually left NYC – and also gives us the best advice about what all of us should do to get a great workout.

Briefly, tell us about your life. Who is Lisa Cintrice?

So Lisa Cintrice was an 18-year old adult actress who worked on 9 adult films and got a lot of publicity from how I got out of the army. I led a sheltered life as Lisa Vanasco and I ended up living the high life in NYC as a young adult actress known as Lisa Cintrice.

In 1981, still a very young woman, you enlisted in the Army but then, before shipping off, managed to get out of it in a way that literally made headlines - and got you TV. It’s a great “Only in New York” story. Even though I’m sure you’ve told it many times, please do share it here if you don’t mind.

So when I was 16 my dad went to federal prison and I got pregnant and married a man that was 26. I was very sheltered and naive. He became abusive very quickly so I left when I was 17.

At that point I had no direction in my life so I joined the army. I had 10 months before I shipped out. My husband's sister knew what happened, actually, she saw him punch me and pulled him off me. 

She asked if she could photograph me to send to her friend who worked with Oui magazine. I ended up getting a layout in Oui, and Peter Wolf took me under his wing and I ended up doing an adult film.

I went to my recruiter to tell him I was doing porn and wanted out of the army. I was told I had to go and I was also told not to link the army to my porn career.

Well, once I told Peter what the army said, he came up with an idea to get me out. Peter Wolf and Richard Milner did a press release where I was going to strip out of an army uniform in front of the army recruiting station in Times Square so that’s what I did.

I also was in every newspaper and magazine in NYC. I was going to be discharged but then I went on the Tom Snyder show. After Tom Snyder the army said if I stopped doing talk shows I would get a general discharge that turned honorable so I got out.

Truly, “Only in New York!” What was early 1980s NYC like for you? Did you find it scary, exciting, both?

I grew up in Queens and Levittown so the city was fascinating to me. I went to the city to shoot the Oui layout and literally never went home.

I ended up moving in with Tiffany Clark, Fred Lincoln, and Jean Silver. It was one big party to me intertwined with filming adult films. I honestly don't know how I survived.

Keep in mind I had just turned 18. Clubbing, coke, dancing at the Melody Burlesque, hanging out at Bernard’s which was across the street. Partied at Studio 54 and other clubs I don’t even remember. I had no fear. I would walk all over the city at all hours of the night not even thinking maybe it wasn't safe to be out alone at 3 AM.

I would end up in gossip columns because I was always taking my clothes off in clubs. Also spent a lot of time at Plato’s Retreat and the Hellfire Club which was an on-premise S&M club.

Those were the days!

Sounds like fun! I’m curious about two movies you made at that time: Mascara, about as NYC as any movie gets (it even has scenes on the subway), and Debbie Does Dallas 2 (a sequel to one of the most famous adult films ever). What are your memories of making those films?

I don’t remember much about Mascara. I remember I worked with Ken Yontz. He was Seka’s ex. I remember Lee Carroll and Tiffany Clark were in it. I haven't watched that one.

However, I do remember Debbie Does Dallas 2. I actually watched one scene and I will get to that.

So Bambi Woods clearly was only doing the film ‘cuz she needed money so it was obvious she didn't want to be there. I did a scene with her in a bath tub and Jean Silver and I bathed her with penis shaped glycerine soap so just imagine what we did with that soap LOL! I got the vibe that Bambi hated every minute of it.

I also had a scene with Ron Jeremy where I was supposed to give him a blow job. I told him I was going to deep throat him and he said not to do that because it was not possible and my teeth my hurt him.

Well, telling me I can’t do something is a sure way for me to do it. So I did it and that blowjob ended up in the book Only the Best by Jim Holliday which rates the best scenes in adult film. I was number 4 of the 5 best blowjobs. Number 5 was Marilyn Chambers and Ron Jeremy.

Now that is a very cool record to have! What made you move out of NYC?

I left NYC to tour with one of my movies and I was doing a lot of coke back then. I had a moment of clarity and chose to not go back to NY because I felt like it was too easy to score coke in NYC. I cut all contact with everybody I knew. I got sober, went to college, got married. I have grown kids, and I reconnected with my old crew a few months ago.

Was is hard leaving the city and the business?

It was hard at first because I didn't have job skills and I didn't want to call my family till I got my shit together which I did. Got sober, went to college, got married, had kids, and life is good.

It was difficult because of the publicity about the army and porn. The only time in my life that I was fired was from a bartending job where someone saw me in Debbie Does Dallas 2. I kept that part of my life private until recently when I finally felt ok to talk about it.

Do you ever visit the city and, if so, what do you think of NYC today? Do you miss anything about it? 

My dad died in 2016 but even though my dad moved to Los Angeles he kept a place in NY so I would go back every so often and see friends and family. I miss New York food the most.

You have a great Twitter account where you mostly chronicle your physical fitness regime. As someone who needs to get in shape, how do you get and stay motivated to exercise regularly – and what do you think makes for a great workout?

I have been lifting weights since I was 19 and I am 58 now. I posted my workouts to keep me accountable and, if it motivates someone, that's even better.

One thing about working out is the adrenaline you feel when your done training. I am addicted to how good I feel after. That feeling motivates me. I plan my workouts a week in advance so I don’t even have to figure out what I am going to do, it’s all on a list  I have good and bad days at the gym. Some days I am stronger than others.

You know you had a good workout when you feel energized. What I tell friends who want to be active is do it for 90 days and stick to the goals you choose. After 90 days it will become like brushing your teeth it will be habit. Think of it this way: there are 24 hours in a day so anyone can spare even 30 minutes to take a daily walk. Start slow and do what you like.

I love running, my husband swims, some friends bike. Do what you like so you look forward to working out. I need to follow this advice!

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about Lisa Cintrice?

I am finally at a place where can embrace my past and my future. I outed myself to most of my friends that had no idea. I have no regrets. I lived an interesting life, and if no one likes it then, oh well, life goes on.

Back in 1981 there were only about 200 people who did adult films. Now it’s really evolved where anybody can be a webcam girl. I am glad it’s getting to be more accepted. 

Lisa, you will always be accepted! Congratulations on surving so much so well, having so much fun, and creating a great life for yourself. You are truly an inspiration.

Thanks so much for talking to Mr NYC!

Interview: Lisa Cintrice Gets Back In Front of the Camera

In the early 1980s Lisa Cintrice blazed a short, memorable trail in the NYC adult movie business. She worked with Jamie Gillis, Bambi Woods, and other big stars of the time, partied and rocked'n'rolled in nightclubs and swinger clubs, and lived a fun, wild life -- before getting clean, getting out the business, and living a more healthy, normal life.

Lisa's gone on to have a great career as a CPA and great kids. And she was kind enough, in 2021, to give Mr NYC two interviews -- one about her life and career, another about her family's relationship with old school mob guys.

But that's the past. Lisa's living her best life in the present and looking towards the future. And she's still sexy! In fact, she has gotten back in front of the camera for the first time in over 40 years. Recently Lisa did a photoshoot with an erotic model/photographer named Cerise, and I'm honored that this legend of the NYC adult business is giving Mr NYC her first interview about her return to the camera -- and what might come next! 

How did this photoshoot come about and what made you want to do it?

I did it for a couple of reasons. One being that I have been posting a lot of photos from my past, and I wanted more recent photos to post. I am proud of my body. As you know I work out a lot and I wanted to see if I can still be sexy and model at 62. As far as Cerise I saw her on X and found her unique and attractive and after speaking with her and getting to know her I found her to be a good fit for this shoot. I asked her if she was interested, she said yes and we set it all up to shoot in Texas.

What was the theme or idea for the photoshoot, what were you and the photographer hoping to achieve?

I honestly had no idea what we were going to shoot. I wanted it to be sexy sensual and relations. As we went through the process it was clear nudity was not required to achieve that goal. Next photoshoot might be different. I did get a good response from my fans. That does not mean I won't be more provocative later on.

What were some of the poses you did and kinds of pictures you took?

We did a variety of shots trying to convey sexuality and attraction with myself and Cerise and maybe a little mystery. We tried various poses and shared the best ones.

How did it feel doing this kind of adult work after so many years?

I was very nervous and anxious and excited also a little scared considering my age and how long it's been since I did a photo shoot. But once we started it came back pretty quick. Between the photographer and Cerise I was comfortable with it. But I will say it's definitely hard work.

Do you think you'll do this kind of thing again in the future?

I will absolutely do this again I am already thinking about the next shoot because of the positive response I got from my fans with this shoot. Who knows it might even be more salacious depending on the vibe.

Anything else you want to tell us about this photoshoot?

My time in the industry was short and I wanted fresh pics. I am also launching a website to promote my tax business and also my porn star wedding officiating by a porn star business. Of course I will sell autographed photos and have an interactive blog. So I plan on doing fresh shoots a few times a year. I want people to know what I look like now instead of only seeing pics of me at 18.

Thanks Lisa, all the best in the future! And Lisa was kind enough to send us some of the photos which you can see here:

Lisa Cintrice on Her Memories of the Persicos and the NYC Mob

New York City has changed so much in the last three decades that, whenever a story about the old-school mafia pops up in the news, it takes on a creepy zombie-like feel. It's like a piece of the past has jumped out of the shadows, a reminder that something we think of as dead is actually still around, lurking about, ready to strike when the opportunity presents itself. While the mob is NYC is nowhere near as powerful or prominent as it once was in the Joe Columbo-John Gotti heyday, it's still around, doing its organized crime thing as much as it can in the digital era. 

Recently there was a story about the remnants of the Columbo crime family, specifically dealing with a union exhortion scheme. One of the characters in this story is a man named Carmine Persico who was the boss of the Columbo family until his death in prison in 2019. His nephew Teddy is now, apparently, the heir aparent to the Columbo crown now that his uncle's successor, Andrew Russo, has been busted.

Previous Mr NYC interviewee Lisa Cintrice recently contacted me to tell me an incredible story about how, in her childhood, she was a step-sister to Teddy Perscio when her dad was married, for a few years, to Carmine's sister. It's an amazing story and, with her permission, Lisa tells us all about it to Mr NYC exclusively.

Here's Lisa: My connection to the Persico Family

"I was born in 1963, and my family is Italian American. My parents divorced when I was still a baby, I have no memories of a 2 parent household. My brother and I (he was born in 1962) thought everyone lived with their mom and saw their fathers on weekends.

My dad was a good looking guy, he was young, had money and he had lots of girlfriends. Again to us that was normal. Then one weekend when dad picked us up, out of the blue he introduced us to a woman that was living at his house named Patricia Persico. Pat was a beautiful red head who was also Italian American and made some mean sauce. She had 2 sons who were close in age to me and my brother so we were so happy that we had kids to play with when we would visit dad.

Her sons were name Danny Persico and Teddy Persico Jr. During that time we would go to Brooklyn often for Sunday dinner with Pats mom and I would often hear the adults talking about people named Allie Boy, Uncle Carmine and Teddy Persico Sr. (who was Pats ex-husband). We lived a charmed life, vacationed in Puerto Rico, and trips to Italy. All 4 of use kids were pretty close.

My older brother and Danny bonded close as did Teddy and myself. Eddie and Danny were the "good" kids and Teddy and me, well we had spunk and nothing scared us. Teddy and me were always getting yelled at for not doing what we were told. We would just laugh when we got in trouble. I have no bad memories of Teddy or Danny.

After a few years I knew my dad and Pat were fighting alot. Looking back I can say they had a love hate relationship. Thru it all, Pat was always nice to me and my brother. Then one weekend dad picked us up and they were gone. Pat Teddy and Danny, no good bys no hugs nothing they were gone and I was told I could not contact them, which really upset me because I was close to all of them. I was so upset that people who I thought were family were suddenly gone and I never got to say goodbye. Dad moved on and got remarried.

I always wondered what happened to Pat Teddy and Danny. Even as I became a young adult, I still wondered about them. I still missed them. One day in the late 1980's I remember hearing on the news that a Colombo family member named Teddy Persico Jr was arrested for being a king pin in a cocaine trafficking ring I was like WTF? So I looked into it more and realized that was Teddy the Teddy who was my step brother for about 7 years.

I asked my dad about it and he didn’t say much. Keep in mind, although my dad was not a "made" man he was definitely a wise guy and never talked about certain things and Teddy Persico was one of the things he was not going to talk to me about. At that point things from my child hood started making sense. Uncle Carmine was Carmine the "snake" Persico, the head of the Columbo Family. Teddy Persico Sr and Allie Boy were Carmines brothers and also part of the Columbo Crime Family. I still didn’t understand the level of violence they were capable of until I saw a documentary on TV about Carmine and how he was the former leader of Murder Inc., and was running the family from a prison cell. All of this was mind blowing to me.

How did I not realize sooner what was going on? It all seemed so normal back then. Teddy has spent many many years in jail. Shortly after his 20-year drug sentence, he was arrested again for putting a hit on someone while at his grandmother’s funeral. He got 12 years for that and got out after 10 years or so. After that I didn’t see anything about him in the news, one mutual friend even thought maybe he was in witness protection. I thought anything is possible. That is until this week when I learned that the entire leadership of the Columbo family was arrested including Teddy Persico Jr, who was still on supervised release from his last jail stint. They wanted to take control of a labor union. WTF who does that? Oh yea they do! 

Danny did not follow in his family footsteps but he passed away at a young age and I am not sure what from. I often look back wondering how things would have been if my dad stayed married to Pat. Maybe it was for the best that they were no longer in my life.

I have decided I am going to write to Teddy since he will be a captive audience for my letters and I have a lot of questions for him. I am sure he knows about my past, (wonder what he thought of my army stunt) and he may even have some questions for me :)

That’s my story and I am sticking to it!"

Thanks Lisa! Here's a great picture that Lisa shared of herself as a child with the Persico siblings:

Interview: Claire Lower, Senior Food Editor @ Lifehacker & Host of the"You Like That?" Podcast on Good Food, Old Porn, and Portland vs. NYC

Food and porn -- we Americans consume lots of both. These days you can easily get food delivered to your house or dialup billions of porn videos on your computer. But just because food and porn are so easily accessible doesn't mean that writing and commenting about them intelligently is easy. It's a real skill requiring lots of hard (pun intended) work.

Someone who does that hard work and writes and comments quite smartly on both food and porn is Claire Lower -- the Senior Food Editor at Lifehacker.com and co-host of the "You Like That?" podcast about the Golden Age of Porn. In both her food writing and on her podcast, Claire makes observations and provides insights that are funny, smart, sweet, and -- like food and porn -- simply irresistible.

Claire was kind enough of answers some of Mr NYC's questions about her writing and podcast. A resident of Portland, OR she also answers some of my questions about how her city -- like mine -- has changed over the years, and how both seem to be at risk of becoming less sexy and fun. 

Tell us a little bit about your background and your work as a food editor. What’s the best part about being a food editor? Do you get to eat all the time?

I’ve been writing about food for almost a decade, and a full-time staffer at Lifehacker for 6 years, where I’m currently the senior food editor. I do get to eat all the time, but it’s not always what I want to eat in that moment. It’s nice when I get to develop an egg recipe in the morning, but this morning I ended up wrapping a pickle spear in fried cheese. Still good, just a little weird at 10 a.m.

I do love my job though. I’m able to talk about food in what I hope is a very accessible and fun way, and help people eat better.

What inspired you to create the “You Like That Podcast?”

I actually made a slideshow of Golden Age films for Lifehacker, and then I realized I actually had a lot to say, and a lot of love for these movies. I just think they’re so interesting from a historical perspective, and I’ve always been a slut for the 70s.

What’s your favorite thing about doing the podcast and the most challenging?

I really love finding interesting historical tidbits and anecdotes to share with Catie [her co-host] and our listeners, and I really like watching porn with a more critical eye. It can be challenging to watch THAT much porn, however. I watched Taboo five times to prepare for our most recent episode, because I wanted to listen to all of the commentaries.

What’s your favorite era for “Golden Age” adult films – the 1970s, 1980s, or another?

Late 70s and early 80s are great, but I really like the early Golden Age, right after loops kinda started to fade out and make way for capital-F films.

What makes a “good” adult film?

Jamie Gillis. Just kidding. I think a good adult film doesn’t have to be super serious, but I like a bit of plot, well shot sex scenes, and sets and locations. Give me something to look at! I don’t care is the story is goofy, I want to believe these two people have a reason for having sex with each other. Doesn’t even have to be a good reason.

Has there really ever been an adult movie where the story or the performances were compelling beyond the sex?

Oh, absolutely. Immediately, Mascara by Henri Pachard comes to mind. The sex in it is really interesting and inclusive, but the story about the relationship between the two women is so well told and acted. Both Lisa De Leeuw and Lee Carrol give these incredibly nuanced performances that are heartbreaking in moments, but they’re also very funny. It’s also got a great score, and a consistent mood.

Who are some of your favorite adult films and performers, past or present, and why?

Oh my gosh, so many. Jamie Gillis, R. Bola, Lisa DeLeew, Kay Parker, Herschel Savage (who I’m actually pretty good friends with), Richard Pacheco, Seka, Veronica Hart, Christy Canyon, Ginger Lynn, Andrea True (who also put out some great disco and rock records), Mike Horner. I’m sure I’m forgetting someone and going to kick myself later. A lot of my favorites were either actors who started doing porn for easy money, particularly Gillis, Bola, and Savage. I do think Gillis was the ultimate male porn star. A true pervert and artist. I always feel like Gillis is subtly mocking the audience, which I like. But it’s also not that deep. Some people are just fun to watch fuck.

Who would be your dream guest on the podcast?

We’ve actually got a lot of my dream guests lined up to be on here. We already released our Christy Canyon episode, we got to interview Lisa Cintrice about Mascara, and we’re currently editing our Howie Gordon/Richard Pacheco interview. Herschel Savage and Veronica Hart will probably be on at some point. I guess a dream guest would be Gillis, because that is obviously impossible and could only take place in a dream.

Are you a fan of the movie Boogie Nights?

I am, haha. I love PTA, and I love the 70s, and I love that pool party scene with that Three Dog Night song, even though Herschel told me that’s all a fairytale. They didn’t really all hang out in cliques and throw pool parties.

I do like the limo scene, which is based on Gillis’ On the Prowl Series. Tom Byron has told a great story about how Jamie wasn’t thrilled with it; he thought they took this beautiful thing he made and made it sad and tawdry, whereas On the Prowl is tawdry, but still kind of light and fun. But I think you have to be a real pervert to see the difference in the two.

What would you say is the biggest difference between “Golden Age” porn and today’s Internet stuff?

Lisa Cintrice said something in her interview that really stuck with me. She said “it’s all loops again.” And she’s right. There’s barely any plot, no real production value, and I just think digital looks so much worse than film. I know there is good porn being made, and I’m glad that women seem to have more control over their money, but the porn film is very hard to find.

Moving on: how long have you lived and Portland and what do you love about the city?

I’ve been here eight or nine years. I actually really like the weather. I like my house. I like that there are record stores everywhere and a good food and beverage scene. I also hunt and fish so it’s nice to have all that stuff nearby.

Are you a fan of the show “Portlandia” and was that an accurate or out-of-date parody of the city?

It’s barely a parody. I liked it before I moved here, but it’s hard to watch if you’ve lived here a while. You can still find “death to Fred and Carrie” graffiti in dive bar bathrooms. How has the city changed in the time you’ve lived there? Yeah, it’s just more sterile. More condos and little shops with Notorious RBG mugs.

I’m a New Yorker and it feels like NYC has become a less sexy, less wild, city than it used to be, thanks to gentrification. Portland strikes me as another sexy, wild city that has undergone a lot of change. Is it still wild and sexy or is it getting more boring?

We still have more strip clubs per capita than any other city, and several sex clubs of varying repute. They did shut down Hawthorne Theater though, and that was like the last seedy porn theater. I never got to go and I regret it.

Do you have a favorite adult film set in NYC – or Portland? Mascara is my favorite movie set in NYC. It’s so moody and pretty. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a porn set in Portland. (I never go to Hump or anything like that.)

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

I really think it’s important to watch these old fuck films. We forget that porn was illegal and dangerous to make, and I really do consider those early actors and directors to be free speech heroes. They really are stars to me.

Thanks Claire! You can follow her on Twitter at @Clairelizzie. 

Classic Mr NYC

In 2018 I did a short review of the classic late 1970s adult film Debbie Does Dallas which, despite its title, was actually filmed in Brooklyn. It starred a woman named Bambi Woods who was catapulted to adult stardom by the film.

And in 2021 I interviewed the former adult star Lisa Cintrice who starred in Debbie Does Dallas 2 and had a scene in a bathtub with Ms Woods. After this, Bambi Woods vanished from the public eye, and in the forty-plus years since no one has been able to find her -- there have been rumors that she died in 1986, others that she moved and continues to live as a housewife in Iowa.

Either way, back in 1979, Bambi Woods was very much a star and she gave this short interview about the movie that had made her infamous. It's a moment in time when the adult films business in NYC was at the vanguard of popular culture -- a moment that, in retrospect, passed quickly.