Tollway Chief Linked to Gay Porn Videos Quits

The head of the Tampa-Hillsborough County Expressway Authority abruptly quit Wednesday after a Tampa Tribune story revealed he was the owner of a gay porn production company.

Ralph Mervine, executive director of the authority, resigned his $208,000-a-year job after the newspaper revealed that he owned Coast Productions, a San Diego-based company that produces gay porn DVDs and operates two gay porn sites, the Tribune reported today.

Mervine resigned shortly after reporters began asking him questions about the company. He had been with the agency since November 2004 when he was named interim director. His position became full time in July.

Agency spokesman Mathias Bergendahl said Mervine submitted his resignation to board Chairman Thomas Gibbs, saying merely that it was time for the authority to seek new leadership.

Agency board members appeared to be stunned by the news, with one saying the agency should have made a formal search for an executive director before hiring him on a permanent basis.

“They just brought him in,” complained Gwen Miller, a board member.

“We need to do a real search.”

According to the newspaper, Mervine’s businesses included home construction and a mainstream film production company.

Mervine is listed as a producer in the independent horror film The Robert Cake, for Queenqueg Films and also is listed as executive producer of Walk of Legends: Then & Now, a 2004 documentary on stock car racing.

Among the titles Coast has produced are My Guy, Twink Town and Forever Boys.