Dante 'Tex' Gill: Transgender Mobster

Dante 'Tex' Gill: Transgender Mobster

Author: Al Preston August 29, 2025 Duration: 7:52

Dante 'Tex' Gill was the owner of multiple massage parlors in Pittsburgh and he won them from the mob after the parlor wars. Although he was caught eventually, he had a wild time as one of Pittsburgh's well known mobsters.

Sources:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5924185/The-incredible-life-transgender-gangster-Mr-Gill.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dante_%22Tex%22_Gill

https://isaacmeyer.net/2021/05/dante-tex-gill/

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/dante-gill-obituary?id=28141457

https://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/thedigs/2014/02/17/the-complex-and-tough-dante-tex-gill/

http://www.elisarolle.com/queerplaces/ch-d-e/Dante%20Gill.html

https://newsinteractive.post-gazette.com/thedigs/2014/02/17/the-complex-and-tough-dante-tex-gill/gill-and-wife-cynthia-bruno-gill-in-1984-ross-a-catanzathe-pittsburgh-press/

https://deadline.com/2020/07/rub-and-tug-reconfigured-tv-series-scarlett-johansson-controversy-dante-tex-gill-new-regency-television-our-lady-j-write-pilot-trans-actor-playing-pittsburgh-massage-parlor-owner-1202990712/

https://www.them.us/story/the-true-story-of-dante-tex-gill

https://worldqueerstory.wordpress.com/2019/07/27/dante-tex-gill/

https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/07/rub-and-tug-tv-show-our-lady-j?srsltid=AfmBOorp7AzATKEyxZvDwTuj5krqRRMnVDM2HL3S1yAngohKuM2MqoG3

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-pittsburgh-press-frank-cocchiara-dri/12521482/

https://law.justia.com/cases/pennsylvania/superior-court/1983/314-pa-super-256-2.html

https://qburgh.com/in-memorium-herb-beatty/


Al Preston hosts The Holiday Pride: A Pittsburgh LGBT+ Community Museum Podcast, a series that explores the rich and often overlooked history of the local queer community. This isn't a broad overview, but a deep, personal look at the stories, people, and places that have shaped Pittsburgh's unique LGBT+ identity. Each episode functions like an audio exhibit, drawing from the museum's archives and featuring conversations with community elders, activists, artists, and historians. You'll hear firsthand accounts of pivotal moments, from the early gathering places and the fight for civil rights to the vibrant cultural expressions that define the community today. The podcast aims to preserve these narratives, ensuring they are passed on with the nuance and dignity they deserve. It’s an educational journey that connects the past's struggles and triumphs directly to the present, offering listeners a profound sense of place and legacy. Tune in for a thoughtfully produced history podcast that honors where this community has been, providing essential context for understanding its ongoing story.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Holiday Pride: A Pittsburgh LGBT+ Community Museum Podcast
Podcast Episodes
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We've talked a lot about Pittsburgh's gay bars, now we'll go into detail about some of them!Sources:Pittsburgh Queer History ProjectNewspapers.comThe Heinz History Center's Library and Archives Pittsburgh OUT collection.
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Pittsburgh has some very old organizations that have supported and aided LGBT+ people for decades. You can find more about these organizations on their home pages which you can find links to on our resource page:https://…
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Duration: 11:56
Take a look at Pittsburgh's Black Pride history and learn about the way the black queer community has celeberated itself.Sources:https://positivelypittsburgh.com/pittsburgh-pride-50-years-of-history/#:~:text=1973%3A%20Pi…
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Duration: 6:31
Thursday Night Live (TNL) was a gay organization for white collar workers that turned into an AIDS activist group focused on education and providing support for those with AIDS.You can learn more at the Heinz History Cen…
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Duration: 19:01
Listen to Butch Izaj talk about Pittsburgh's Gay Bars and the anual Memorial and Labor Day picnics.
The Pitt Men's Study [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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Pittsburgh was one piece of a larger national study that led to great advancements in AIDS research. Listen to how it came to be!