TV crusader, Marvin Zindler & the Chicken Ranch (Best Little Whore House In Texas)

Marvin Zindler was a flamboyant Houston television personality, journalist, and consumer advocate, best known for his investigative reporting that led to the closure of the Chicken Ranch, a long-standing brothel in La Grange, Texas. Born on August 10, 1921, in Houston, Texas, Zindler had a diverse career that spanned radio, television, and law enforcement, making him one of Houston’s most influential media figures. His work primarily focused on championing the “little guy,” advocating for the elderly and working-class against scams, medical abuses, and unsanitary conditions.
Zindler grew up in Houston, the son of Abe Zindler, a prominent clothier who owned a successful clothing store. His father often viewed Marvin as frivolous, a perception that followed him despite his varied accomplishments. Zindler attended Pershing Middle School, Lamar High School, and graduated from San Jacinto High School in Houston. He briefly studied at John Tarleton Agricultural College before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, though he received a medical discharge due to an infection caused by ill-fitting boots.

Zindler’s broadcasting career began in 1943 as a part-time night radio disc jockey and news reporter at Houston’s KATL-AM, while also working at his family’s clothing store. In 1951, he hosted The Roving Mike, a 30-minute Sunday radio program that documented Houston’s crime scenes and interviews with victims and officers. He briefly worked as a reporter and cameraman for KPRC-TV in 1950 but was fired in 1954 for being “too ugly” for television. Undeterred, he joined the Scripps Howard Houston Press as a part-time crime reporter and photographer. In 1962, he took a detour into law enforcement, joining the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, where he established the Consumer Fraud Division.

Zindler’s most famous work came in 1973 when he joined KTRK-TV (ABC13) in Houston as a consumer affairs reporter. That summer, acting on an anonymous tip about alleged houses of prostitution, Zindler, alongside journalist Larry Conners, investigated the Chicken Ranch in La Grange, Texas. The brothel, reportedly the oldest continuously operating in the U.S., had been tolerated by local authorities for decades. Zindler believed it was linked to organized crime and political corruption, though he was never able to substantiate these claims.

Zindler’s week-long exposé, aired in late July and early August 1973, included undercover work by Conners, who posed as a University of Texas student to document activities inside the Chicken Ranch. When Conners confronted the madam, Edna Milton, about running a house of prostitution, she deflected, saying, “Whether I am or not, it’s none of your business.” Zindler’s reports alleged financial kickbacks to local officials, which he claimed allowed the brothel to operate. The media pressure forced Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe to order the closure of the Chicken Ranch on August 1, 1973, after a meeting with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) and state attorney general. Despite a petition with nearly 3,000 signatures to keep it open, the brothel was shuttered for good after Zindler’s follow-up reports.

The closure was not without controversy. Fayette County Sheriff Jim T. Flournoy, who had a cooperative relationship with the Chicken Ranch, physically confronted Zindler during a follow-up visit, breaking two of Zindler’s ribs and snatching his toupee, which he reportedly waved like a trophy. The incident, partially captured on audio, added to Zindler’s notoriety. While an investigation found no evidence of organized crime, the story catapulted Zindler to national fame