Franz Pass, the owner and manager of The Black Room, was born in Damme, West Germany (back when there was such a thing) in 1946. Franz grew up near Lake Dümmer, a great spot for fishing and boating. Attending junior college, he learned about the textile retail business and studied management. Eventually he came to the USA in 1970, while working for a German hosiery manufacturer. In 1985, Franz opened up The Black Room, a fetish store, in Irvine, California. They built up a reputation for quality and worked with people from fetish photographers like Gerry Koehler, Ken Markus, and David Jackson (of DDI) to legends of the adult film industry like Ron Jeremy, director Jim Powers, and Brianna. He's also provided outfits for fetish models like Mistress Persephone, Kumi Monster, Masuimi Max, and Dita von Teese. In 2010, Franz decided he wanted a change of scenery and moved to Las Vegas. He quickly set up shop off the Strip and opened a new version of the store.