Fate of the Bunny Ranch Brothel Uncertain After Dennis Hof's Death

Dennis Hof put plans in place to keep his brothels firing on all cylinders in the event of his inability to run his sex empire, but the emergence of Hof's estranged children could bring the famous Cathouse into an all-out catfight.

Sources directly dealing with the aftermath following Hof's death tell The Blast the famous pimp had previously set up a trust that dictates who would inherit his brothels, and it is believed that his longtime madam and confidante, Suzette Cole, would get all his properties to keep them running.

In fact, when we last talked to Hof and asked him about running the brothels while he pursued a career in politics, he made it clear Suzette was trusted with everything and she keeps the places humming ... no pun intended.

Hof actually put Suzette on the brothel licenses for his four locations in Lyon County, Nevada, including The Sagebrush Ranch, Kit Kat Guest Ranch, The Love Ranch and the Moonlite Bunny Ranch.

The Love Ranch South, where Hof died, did not have Suzette on the license, and has temporarily shuttered its doors in the wake of the 72-year-old's death. In Nye County, where the Love Ranch South is located, brothel licenses are not transferrable, so Suzette would have to apply for a license if she were to take over operation.

Some are speculating that Heidi Fleiss, Hof's former girlfriend, may take over operation of the brothels, however we are told she was never considered by Hof to be a successor.

However, the entire plan may be moot because Hof's two estranged daughters from his first wife, Shirley, are now back in the picture. We are told Hof's children have been in contact with people connected to their late father and made it clear they intend to make a move on the eventual estate and assume ownership of the brothels.

We are told all of Hof's business combined, including the brothels, strip club and restaurant, generate tons of money -- sometimes upwards of 7 figures per month.

It's unclear what that would mean for Madam Suzette, but we are told the consensus is she would more than likely stay operating the brothels, as she has successfully done for years already.

The other issue is the growing pressure from county officials to close down the brothels. Lyon County is voting in the upcoming election whether to keep or rescind the ordinance allowing legal brothels and prostitution in the county. Hof was a daunting presence in the community, especially politically. He had tons of friends in powerful positions, and some feel that with the Godfather gone the brothels are now at serious risk of going away for good.

The Blast broke the story, Dennis Hof was found dead by his longtime friend, porn legend Ron Jeremy, after a night out campaigning for Hof's election in the State Assembly.