Local Dentist Turns Hustler

By Scott Smith in News on Jan 20, 2006 4:10PM

A dentist living in Marina Towers was charged Wednesday with laundering money for a prostitution ring.

In a case that illustrates what happens when HBO runs Night Shift one too many times, Gary S. Kimmel is accused of purchasing cars for an alleged pimp known in court documents as "Blue Diamond" but known to his mama and U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as Robert Lewis Young. Kimmel also lied to credit card companies and insurance agents to cover up the purchase. Comments from Chicagoist’s friends along the lines of “well, that’s not SO bad” were later silenced after we learned that the prostitution ring often used underage girls.

But hey: Kimmel’s not really a bad guy. He gave the prostitutes free dental work! Nothing in the Tribune article indicates whether Kimmel outfitted the pimp with a gold tooth or grillwork that reads “PLAYA.”

Maybe this is all a big misunderstanding. A similar situation occurred in Chicago twenty-two years ago when a mild-mannered college professor, Clifford Skridlow, posed as a pimp to protect some prostitutes from a local mob boss. The ruse was discovered during a Players Ball featuring soul singer James Brown. These events were later chronicled in a documentary titled Doctor Detroit.

Whether there is any connection between Skridlow and Kimmel remains unclear. Witnesses have reported seeing a man fitting Skridlow’s description around the Marina Towers/House of Blues complex, usually during anniversary celebrations at the club.