[2] He worked in the defense industry at Hunter's Point Navy Yard near San Francisco during World War II.
After seeing a female impersonation show at the legendary Finocchio's in San Francisco around 1948, he became a performer himself, starting in Galveston, Texas, transitioning to Hollywood, California, then making his way to Chicago.
[5] He also opened his own costume design studio in Chicago in 1953[6] in the basement of the Lorraine Hotel at 411 South Wabash Ave. in the city's Rush Street nightclub area.
[13] As the drag scene boomed not only in Chicago proper but Calumet City and Cicero, with approximately 50 strip clubs abounding, Midnite designed for "all manner of exotic stage performers.
"[5] In addition, he designed for road shows of Gypsy and Carnival and for the Jewel Box's Broadway production, which debuted at Loew's State Theatre in Times Square.