Chi Chi LaRue

• Name — Chi Chi LaRue • Birth Name — Larry David Paciotti • Born — 8 November 1959 • Birthplace — Hibbing, Minnesota, U.S. • Other Names — Lawrence David Taylor Hudson • Website — chichilarue.com

Paciotti began performing as "Chi Chi LaRue" when he moved to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area and started performing in drag as one-half of "The Weather Gals", a "hag drag" revue. He and a friend moved to California, where LaRue was hired by Catalina Video as an administrative assistant and publicist because of his knowledge of porn and the workings of the porn industry. Even as a "DJ" ("DJ Paciotti"), Paciotti conducts most public business as "Chi Chi LaRue", particularly in the pornographic film industry. LaRue has directed hundreds of gay porn films since 1988, mainly for Falcon Studios. He now owns Catalina Video, a label under his umbrella company Channel 1 Releasing. In 2003, LaRue began to divide his directorial attention between two porn studios: Vivid Video, where he worked with Jenna Jameson and Tera Patrick, and his own Rascal Video. In March 2004, LaRue was preparing to leave to travel to London to direct Taking Flight when he had a mild heart attack. Instead of abandoning the production, Falcon hired Chris Steele, the script's author, to direct. In 2005, LaRue shot his last film for Falcon, called Heaven to Hell. It was the only movie ever to be cast of Falcon exclusives. In 2006, LaRue announced that he would no longer produce films for Vivid Video because they were featuring actors and actresses having sex without condoms. In 2007, LaRue was chosen as one of Out magazine's Top 50 most influential people in the LGBT community. In 2008, he directed the controversial bisexual film Shifting Gears. In the press release he used "straight-for-pay" (a play on "gay-for-pay") to describe gay performer Blake Riley's first scene with a woman. In 2012, LaRue directed the music video for "Trouble" by RuPaul's Drag Race contestant Willam Belli, which premiered on Logo TV. In 2015, LaRue admitted himself into drug and alcohol treatment in Minnesota, feeling he was "near death", according to friend Kevin Molin. LaRue opened Chi Chi LaRue's, a gay adult store, in West Hollywood in partnership with Rob Novinger. In 2020 LaRue re-opened Circus of Books, located a few blocks away and originally opened in 1960, after its purchase by Channel 1 Releasing, a company led by Novinger. It was renamed Chi Chi LaRue's Circus. In January 2022 Chi Chi LaRue's Circus was renamed back to Circus of Books, removing LaRue's name due to the partnership between LaRue and Novinger being dissolved. The original Chi Chi LaRue's was closed.

Chi Chi LaRue was recorded at birth as Lawrence David Pacciotti. He also worked under the names Chi Chi LaRue, Taylor Hudson and Lawrence David. The authorities additionally record the heading Lawrence David Paciotti. His recorded language was English.

Chi Chi LaRue is recorded with the occupation pornographic actor. Recorded with the occupation film director. Recorded with the occupation screenwriter. Classed in the genre pornographic film. Recorded as pornographic actor, film director and screenwriter.