Markus is the professional name of the first male legal prostitute in the United States of America. He worked for a few weeks at the beginning of 2010 at a legal brothel in Nevada. He was born in Lawrence County, Alabama

Lawrence County, Alabama

Lawrence County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is included in the Decatur Metropolitan Area, as well as the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area. It was named after James Lawrence, a captain in the United States Navy from New Jersey. As of the 2010 census, the population was...

; his real name is not known to the public. In January 2010, when he was 25 years old, he was hired at the Shady Lady Ranch

Shady Lady Ranch

The Shady Lady Ranch is a legal brothel in Nevada, located on U.S. Highway 95 about north of Beatty.In 2006, the owner Bobbi Davis, along with two newspapers and with help from the ACLU, challenged a 1979 state law which prohibited the advertising of brothels in counties where prostitution was...

, a legal brothel in Nevada

Prostitution in Nevada

Nevada is the only U.S. state to allow some legal prostitution, in the form of regulated brothels. Prostitution outside these licensed brothels is illegal....

, which successfully applied for a work permit for him. Previously, he had worked as a U.S. Marine and as a pornographic actor

Pornographic actor

A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...

. He prefers to be termed a gigolo

Gigolo

Gigolo may refer to:* A male prostitute, escort, or dancer, who offers services to women* Gigolo , a 2006 single by Helena Paparizou* Gigolo , a 2003 single by Nick Cannon...

 (and in an interview with Details

Details (magazine)

Details is an American monthly men's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, founded in 1982. Though primarily a magazine devoted to fashion and lifestyle, Details also features reports on relevant social and political issues.-History:...

had compared himself to Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks

Rosa Louise McCauley Parks was an African-American civil rights activist, whom the U.S. Congress called "the first lady of civil rights", and "the mother of the freedom movement"....

); in Nevada, he is referred to as the "prostidude." He only worked for female customers. He left the prostitution business a few weeks later, in March 2010, after drawing fewer than 10 customers.