Behind 'Queen of the Deuce' -- The Outrageous Story of Porn Maven Chelly Wilson

EDGE: How did Chelly manage to survive and thrive in the male-dominated landscape? She must have had this innate survival instinct.

Bondi Walters: I don't know where it came from, but she always had it. The letters I found after she died were written to her by her family, and some notes that she had made, dated back to 1931 through 1934, showed that she always had that ability to survive. People were always going to her for help. She was always coming up with solutions for things. She was always the one to make the first move and take the first risk. I don't know where she got it from because she was raised in a very religious Jewish home and in a society where women weren't supposed to have that kind of role.

EDGE: She was one of the first to import gay porn in NYC. Was this decision based more on her business acumen or because she was openly gay?

Bondi Walters: It was definitely based on business. That's my feeling. I can't speak for her.

Valerie Kontakos: I think, though, that the gay element didn't put her off at all. Why didn't other people do it? Right. She was open to all things. That was part of her personality. For example, if someone else would've possibly said, "No, I'm not going to get involved with this." She would have said, "Why not? If you're not going to do it, then I will."

EDGE: Did you discover any new things about your mom going through this process?

Bondi Walters: No, but seeing how other people saw her was fascinating. She was always surrounded by people, but I never knew how she was seen or thought of. I knew they loved her and were there for her, and that was wonderful to see.

EDGE: A Jewish woman celebrating Christmas above a porn theatre is how most viewers are going to remember her, but what are each of you going to remember most about Chelly?

Valerie Kontakos: It's like when you see a good performance, you're really kind of inspired by it, and you want to do something better when you see something good. That's the same feeling that I get with Chelly. She inspired me to be strong, truthful to myself, and to respect myself.

Bondi Walters: Her sense of humor, but it's hard for me to say because she was my mother. She died in 1994, and it's still very emotional for me to be able to see her alive on screen and to hear her voice and laugh. I will remember her always for everything she did.

EDGE: What would she think of New York City now?

Bondi Walters: My mother always believed in change. She was always aware that new things were coming. As Valerie said, she was a risk-taker. She would take it all in and see where she could make a niche for herself. If she couldn't fit in, she would create a space where she did.

EDGE: What do you hope the audiences will take away from the film?

Valerie Kontakos: Just being more accepting of people. The easiest thing to do is to accept everyone the way they are, with no judgment. It's that simple. Once we start there, I think many of our problems will be solved. I'm very happy people are walking away from it because they are getting what I wanted to convey and share. I did know Chelly when I was very young because she was a friend of my mother's, so I met her. And I did feel her presence in the reel, not just through making the film and the archival footage, but from start to end.

"Queen of the Deuce" is available on to stream on Amazon and Apple TV. For more information, visit the film's website.