First published 2022
Stephanie Johnson commands attention in her handmade fur coat and hat, but few know the woman behind the outrageous style. Once famous as Tanqueray, she ruled the burlesque stages of 1970s New York City. She danced at Billy's Topless and The Peppermint Lounge when gangsters and go-go dancers defined the nightlife scene. Her name echoed through the city's underground world. Years later, a single photograph on Humans of New York brought her back into the spotlight, captivating millions with her fierce presence. Now Stephanie tells her own story, revealing the grit and glamour that shaped her journey from small-town girl to New York icon. Through personal photographs and untold stories, she opens the doors to a vanished era when Times Square pulsed with danger and possibility. This is the tale of a woman who refused to be broken by a city that chews up dreams, finding her own way to survive and thrive in the concrete jungle.
Genres: drama, historical-fiction, 20th-century, biography-memoir, 21st-century, new-york
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: gritty, rags-to-riches
Setting: Billy's Topless, New York City, The Peppermint Lounge, Times Square
Period: 1970s
192 pages · Hardcover · Macmillan