Latest news with #MonsVenus
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
2001 Odyssey acquires Mons Venus to carry on strip club legacy in Tampa
Full-nude club Mons Venus and its fiery owner Joe Redner helped Tampa earn the reputation as a 'strip club capital of the country." Now, 2001 Odyssey — the strip joint across the street with a spaceship on its roof — plans to carry on its legacy. 2001 Odyssey acquired the 'world-famous' Mons Venus at 2040 N. Dale Mabry Highway in January, owner Don Kleinhans told the Tampa Bay Times on Thursday. 'What's happening is we purchased the business, not the real estate,' said Kleinhans, president of 2001 Inc. 'So we have the business but (Redner) is the landlord.' The goal is to preserve the Mons Venus — with some improvements — instead of seeing an out-of-town company take over. 'For like, the last 15 years, Joe's been a buddy of ours. But it's interesting, because he was also our direct competitor, and we've always kind of worked together instead of against each other,' Kleinhans said. 'And in October, he gave me a call and said, 'Hey, listen, I think the time might be right. And I've always told him I was interested.'' Kleinhans said 2001 Odyssey will pay Redner rent as well as a consulting fee. 'It wasn't a sale. It was a management contract,' Redner said when reached by a reporter over the phone. 'I don't want to talk to you about it.' Before opening the Mons Venus, Redner was credited with launching Tampa's first full-nude club in the 1970s. Some call him the father of the lap dance. In the late '90s, he led a highly-publicized war against the city of Tampa over the 'six-foot rule,' an ordinance that required naked dancers to maintain a distance of six feet from patrons. Kleinhans has been quiet about the new management contract as his team worked to give the Mons a facelift. He wants it to be 'the same club, just refreshed.' 'It really needed modernization, and I think it was one of the last clubs in the U.S. that was operating on a jukebox,' he said. All 2,000 bulbs in the iconic Mons Venus sign have been replaced. Redner famously used the marquee to spread political messages and even chastise former Tampa Mayor Dick Greco. Other upgrades include new upholstery, lighting and sound, plus adding mirrors to 'every flat surface.' There's a private VIP room where full-nude dances will continue. The bathroom will soon get doors on the stalls, after years without them. Redner always had female leadership at the Mons Venus, so Kleinhans hired Bambi Wilde, former Miss Nude World, to be general manager. 'I think Joe Redner has allowed all of the clubs in Tampa to have the success that they have, just due to his morality and his position of fighting for the industry. And I've always looked up to Joe,' Kleinhans said. 'I just think it's very important as a world-renowned place and a Tampa landmark that the legacy continues.'
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Yahoo
Florida man accused of plotting mass shooting at Mons Venus accepts plea deal, gets 10-year prison sentence
The Brief Michael Rudman accepted a plea deal in a Tampa courtroom on Thursday. Rudman was suspected of plotting a mass shooting at the Mons Venus adult club in March 2023. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison with credit for time served. TAMPA, Fla. - The man suspected of plotting a mass shooting at the Mons Venus adult club in Tampa two years ago was sentenced to 10 years in prison after accepting a plea deal in court on Thursday. The backstory Michael Rudman was arrested on March 19, 2023, after prosecutors say he tried to walk into the crowded club armed with a Glock 9mm and wearing a devil's mask over his face. Security footage shows Rudman pulling open the door to the club when he was stopped by a security guard who was able to knock the gun away and wrestle Rudman to the ground. Tampa police believe the security guard, Manny Resto, likely saved many lives that night. "It is believed Rudman's intent was to commit an act of mass violence and kill multiple people inside the club," according to court filings. Resto was later awarded by Tampa police with a citizen medal of valor for stopping a mass shooting. Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw said in 2023 that detectives also found additional ammunition, gun accessories and nine knives in Rudman's truck. Follow FOX 13 on YouTube What's next Rudman will serve his 10-year prison sentence with credit for time served. The Source Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Kellie Cowan, with additional details from previous FOX 13 News reports. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
