Cincinnatians 'Keep Them Going'

What remains are the vestiges of an era, and it is the customers from Cincinnati who keep alive what little is left, Newport officials say.

''It's not just some Cincinnati residents; it's lots of them,'' said James Parsons, the City Manager of Newport, who added that Newport's 20,000 people could not account for all the clubs.''It's not the residents of Newport that keep them going; it's the lily-white people of Cincinnati.''

Pornography opponents who forced similar establishments out of Cincinnati years ago say they are saddened but not surprised.

''Cincinnatians are definitely getting their hands on it,'' said Phil Burress, a spokesman for Citizens for Community Values, a Cincinnati anti-pornography group that has taken the lead in fighting the Mapplethorpe exhibit. ''The citizens are still addicted to it and will go anywhere to get their fix.''

They are going not only to Newport, but also to Kentucky towns like Crescent Springs, for X-rated videos, and Covington, for prostitution, the local authorities say.

In recent months, said Lieut. Col. Steven Schmidt of the Covington Police Department, his town in particular has had an increase in arrests of male prostitutes and their customers. ''You'd be surprised at all the Ohio license plates for that,'' he said.

Suits Contrast to Jeans and Boots

The customers of Newport's clubs -some of them Cincinnati businessmen, others conventiongoers visiting Cincinnati - are easy to spot after they venture across the Ohio River bridges, Newport residents say.