Biography
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Biography
Willie Vincent Piazza (c. 1865 - November 2, 1932) was a major brothel proprietor in the Storyville during that red light district's period of legal operation. From 1898 until the district's closure in 1917, Piazza worked as a madam and specialized in providing octoroon women for her clients; she herself was mixed-race.
Early life
Little is known about Piazza's early life. Her parents, Vincent Piazza and Celia Caldwell, were both still teenagers and unmarried at the time of her birth; the couple had at least two other children. Piazza was born in Jackson, Mississippi and first moved to New Orleans in the mid-1890s.
"Countess" Willie Piazza
Operating for a period of about twenty years, Piazza became well-known in Storyville for her brothel parlor. She was one of several women of mixed ancestry to operate brothels in the area, Lulu White being perhaps the most prominent. Purchasing her 317 N. Basin Street headquarters for $12,000 in 1907, she spent an additional $30,000 on furnishings and other upgrades; the brothel was immediately successful, allowing Piazza to pay of the mortgage within two years. Piazza's "girls" were known around New Orleans for their fine clothes, private coaches, and for their abilities to sing and play musical instruments; the average annual income for a Willie Piazza octoroon was thought to be $1,000-$2,000. Piazza herself became known as "Countess Willie Piazza" and cultivated an image of European sophistication.
After the closer of Storyville in 1917, Piazza continued to work as a prostitute and procuress.
Death
Willie Piazza died from cancer on November 2, 1932, in New Orleans. Due to savvy investments, she reportedly left a significant estate.