Ladies Beware: Poster Warns of 'Gigolo' who Preys on Women

When we first drove past this poster tacked to a telephone pole on the corner of Main and Washington streets in Middletown, we thought it was a plea for the public's help in finding a missing person.

A closer inspection of another of them taped to the rear window of the closed Us Restaurant near the Melilli Plaza parking lot revealed it was a pleasant enough photograph of a man in a white baseball cap. He had been given the moniker "Gigalo [sic] George" accompanied by a red-lettered warning for women, "Ladies Beware."

We asked Middletown Police Lt. Heather Desmond if any complaints have been received about "George" and she indicated none have been fielded.

In true public service announcement form, it ends with a curt advisory: "Don't be the Next Statistic."

No contact information is provided or a clue to who printed up these posters is given, but its message is very clear. George, it reads, has no ambition, lies, cheats and steals, is self-centered and a lazy and slovenly person who "prays" [sic] on women.

We can only marvel at the author's sense of civic duty in warning other women of poor George's intentions and his or her brazenness in printing up — in full color — his seemingly innocent face. And we'll kindly forgive those spelling errors in the interest of bringing this "offender" to justice.

Will the real Gigolo George please stand up?

Have you seen these posters around town? What do you make of them? Tell us in the comments below.