"Making Hits 4 Generations"
eraino
Entertainment
About Us
Since the early 1970s, the Peraino family has been a formidable presence in the entertainment industry. Anthony Peraino, the family patriarch, and his son, Louis "Butchie" Peraino, disrupted the world of independent films with the release of "Deep Throat" - the highest-grossing adult film of all time. The success of the film sparked the US sexual revolution and the Golden Age of Porn, despite its initial budget of only $25,000. The film went on to generate over $600 million in revenue, paving the way for adult movie classics like "Debby Does Dallas," "Pleasure Dome," and "The Devil in Miss Jones."
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With the birth of Louis Peraino Jr., the company shifted towards mainstream productions, contributing to the creation of timeless classics such as "The Texas Chainsaw," "Andy Warhol's Flesh for Frankenstein," "Bruce Lee's Way of the Dragon," and "The Devil's Rain," featuring William Shatner and John Travolta.
Today, Louis Peraino III is building upon the family legacy by revolutionizing the entertainment industry. The company now produces a diverse range of films, from dramas to inspirational epics based on true-life events. Peraino Entertainment boasts four generations of industry knowledge at the highest levels of independent film production and movie development/distribution. It is the go-to choice for bringing large-scale productions to life or creating buzzworthy independent films.
History & Controversy
While good business can be a healthy amalgam of bold risk taking and ferocious resilience, many of the projects pioneered by the Peraino Family have seen their fair share of controversy. These controversies helped launch these films into the forefront of movie goers only furthering their success.
Movies such as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Return of the Dragon, Andy Warhols Flesh For Frankenstein, Deep Throat, and The Devils Rain all gained notoriety through mainstream intrigue and controversy. These films all were on the fringe of what the mainstream would consider “socially acceptable” featuring gratuitous violence, gore, and adult themes all while enticing movie goers with fascinating and nearly unbelievable news headlines.
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Aside from producing, distributing and duplicating films, the Peraino Family was known for their ties all across entertainment and business. The diverse range of businesses owned, operated, and maintained by Louis and Anthony Peraino helped in building relationships with everyone from Dr. Frank Back, the inventor of the zoom lens, to infamous arms dealers such as Adnan Khashoggi. The businesses owned by the Peraino’s included production companies, distribution companies, duplication plants, clubs, mechanic shops and restaurants.
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Louis owned and operated a chain of electronic stores called Big L Electronics all across New York only furthered his horizontal monopoly in the film industry. Offering unique and highly sought after items with purchases such as Cabbage Patch Kids, many of his clientele came to appreciate the services he offered and the unique marketing he implemented.
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Louis "Butchie" Peraino
The Birth of the Modern Adult Entertainment Industry
Deep Throat was more than just the first mainstream porn; it is the story of how the adult industry has reached the point where it is today.
Before the explosion of adult entertainment, mature content existed in the hidden corners of VFWs and Knights of Columbus halls. The 1960s saw the rise of 8mm loops, driven by individuals connected through informal networks. This clandestine allure grew alongside rising crime rates and the ostentatious lifestyles of Italian Americans, who were often rumored to have questionable business practices.
As society began to embrace the sexual revolution, the men who produced and released the film, such as Louis "Butchie" Peraino, utilized methods of distribution typically reserved for Hollywood films. This methodology was applicable because it was considered a "crossover film" attempting to bypass obscenity laws. By creating a vast number of reels and generating consistent marketing buzz, they spread interest far and wide using their distribution network with the help of many theater owners who had a vested interest in filling seats. By the end of the 1970s, it got to the point where even Disney had to come to Butchie when they needed 8mm reels for their mainstream products.
Unlike traditional films, the value of Deep Throat was in the fact that people would see it multiple times. A regular film would fill the mind with conversation for chatting around the water cooler, but Deep Throat was something people took home to imagine in their heads repeatedly. When the memory started to fade, they would buy another ticket, thus continuing the cycle of profitability.
This was the beginning of an industry, not just a movie that had encountered a stroke of luck. Other films released by Butchie, such as The Devil in Miss Jones, Debbie Does Dallas, Return of the Dragon, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre, demonstrated that it was more than a fluke; it was a replicable process. Even as the adult industry evolved into the comfort and privacy of one's home, Butchie assisted in that evolution, also continuing the relevance of Deep Throat.
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By the 1980s, Butchie had secured deals with Sony for the mass distribution of VHS players, effectively reducing the footprint of Beta and changing the availability of content yet again. This made Deep Throat available at home for a reasonable price and kept the importance of the film alive for many years to come.
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Louis "Butchie" Peraino, Sorayda Peraino, & Ernest Borgnine
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In the 1990s, Butchie’s influence could be seen in the beginning of pornography on the internet with the release of the Pam and Tommy sex tape. While Deep Throat and celebrity sex tapes could be found in adult movie stores, he pioneered some of the first online payment and shipping methods that made them available at home, thus allowing people to receive content without ever stepping foot in an adult movie store. This was a huge step forward in setting a precedent for the industry, as he and many others were convicted for the interstate shipment of obscene material when he initially released Deep Throat.
While we may take the convenience and availability of pornography for granted today, the evolution is directly tied to Deep Throat and those who distributed it. While many would jump at the chance to make an adult film, it's the meticulous planning, monetization, and innovative processes that transformed Deep Throat into the cornerstone of the adult entertainment industry as we know it today.