On this day, Oct. 16, in 1984, the woman dubbed the “Mayflower Madam,” was charged with running a $1 million-a-year call-girl operation in Manhattan. Sydney Biddle Barrows, 32, was a descendant of Mayflower Pilgrims and born into a affluent family in Philadelphia. She started an escort service called Cachet, taught her girls how to dress and to talk to men with wealth.
After her arrest and the news of a high-class escort service, Barrows became a small celebrity. Candice Bergen played her in the made-for-TV-movie.
Prosecutors said Barrows was allowed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor because she was a first-time offender. She paid a $5,000 fine.
Barrows has since become a management consultant and writer, and has appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and “The View.”
— Scott McCabe
