Meet Rizzo Ford: Nice Jewish Girl, Porn Star

Credit: Steve Prue

We’re big fans of the alt-porn impresarios over at Burning Angel. Co-founder Joanna Angel has graced our cover, and even took stage at a 2009 Heeb storytelling event. So, when we heard about this new performer of theirs – the one with the mystical Jewish talisman tattooed on her chest – we knew we had to meet Rizzo Ford.

Who are you? What’s your deal?

I am Rizzo Ford (the girl, not the car dealership.) Like most Jews in the entertainment industry that’s not my real name, but Rivka Fogelstein isn’t exactly the most appealing name. [Editor’s note: That’s not her real name either. Sorry folks] I originally hail from Rhode Island but currently call Chicago my home. The only real reason I can think of why anyone would wanna hear from me is that I like to get naked and have sex on the internet.

So, how does a nice Jewish girl like you go from Jewish summer camp to adult actress?

Credit: Eric Lab Rat

I love this question. Makes it sound as though, instead of going on my summer camp’s trip to Israel I visited my bubbe and zeydle in Los Angeles and snuck away to meet with porno agents and photographers.  No, that is not how it happened. In spring of 2007 I had broken up with my boyfriend of almost four years. While we were dating I had joined SuicideGirls.com as a member and, like most semi-attractive (and a fair amount of not-so-attractive) tattooed girls, wanted to eventually become one.  As a “oh hey, I’m hot and tattooed and I think I can do this!” sort of move, I eventually applied. It took a couple tries, but I became an official Suicide Girl in 2009.

Shortly after moving to Chicago from Rhode Island, I took some amateur pictures and video with a good friend of mine who is a photographer/occasional videographer and happens to have a giant schlong – best Yiddish word I could think of for penis [Editor’s note: We would also have accepted – “Shmeckle,” “Shvance,” and “Putz.”] One day I was hanging out with one of my girlfriends and showed her the pictures and video. Her response? “Dude! You should totally do porn!” After thinking it over for a bit, I figured “why the fuck not?” I had spent a year and a half working at a porn store near the airport in Warwick, RI, and I was pretty well versed in the industry.

With only a few exceptions it can be pretty hard for a heavily tattooed girl to get work in the porn industry. I decided that my best bet was to apply to the mother of alt-porn sites, BurningAngel.com. So I applied, and later that day I was chatting with co-owner Mitch Fontaine about when I was able to come out and shoot with them.  A few weeks later I was in Los Angeles shooting porn!

Speaking of tattoos, there a story behind your hamsa tattoo?

Surprisingly, yes! This is actually the only tattoo I have with meaning. It’s a protection thing. The most memorable reaction I got to my hamsa tattoo was the first time I shot for Burning Angel. I was shooting some sex stills and [former Heeb 100’er] James Deen, who was on set because he’s in the same feature, yelled out “is that a hamsa on between your boobs?!?!” Needless to say, we ended up bonding over the fact that we’re both Jewish.

Nice Jewish Boy James Deen

When I was in camp, there were always “legends” about the girl a few years older who went off and did porn. Any idea if you’ve become a “legend” like that back home?

I don’t know about the people I went to camp with, but I do know that a bunch of people I went to high school with know that I’ve done porn. I really hope nobody thinks of me as a legend though, that would just be weird.

So, your hometown Rabbi hasn’t recognized you, or anything?

Well I know the porn store I used to work out carries my movie, and I’m sure my former boss will make sure that they carry any ones that come out in the future.

Credit: Michael Farrington

On Twitter, you’re pretty upfront about being Jewish – I think I saw you tweet about a mezzuzah a while back  – Do you ever get shit for being so explicitly Jewish in what some would say is a pretty unkosher industry?

I did post a picture of a mezuzah! It was my Batman mezuzah that I got when I went on Birthright. Thankfully I’ve yet to receive any anti-semitic mail/tweets/death threats, but I attribute that to me not being that well known. I’m sure if I were a bigger name I would be getting hate mail on the regular. I should consider myself lucky, but to me those kinda things just make laugh and realize how insecure others are about themselves.

One of my favorite things about working for Burning Angel is that it’s run by a couple Jews, Joanna Angel and Mitch Fontaine. While I haven’t gone to synagogue or spun dreidel with either of them I definitely feel as though we’ve bonded over it. I remember discussing with Joanna about how Jewish we were raised and current practices. I always wish them a hag sameach, and Mitch and I like to argue about who is more Jewish looking. He totally is. Dude looks like a hipster Woody Allen,

Birthright… Any Israeli highlights?

Ohhhhhhh Birthright… well I always like to tell people that Birthright was where I became a member of the Mile High Club, and of course the whole butt-sex in a Bedouin tent thing…

Erm… Your most Jewish trait?

Well it’s definitely not my nose. Does having dark hair that’s plentiful and grows quickly count?

Absolutely.

Shit, I just realized I answered a question with another question. THAT is my most Jewish trait.

Credit: Steve Prue

What do you think?