Long before Hugh Hefner and his guests in the Playboy Mansion graced television reality shows, women known as "Bunnies" served as the waitstaff in Hefner's clubs. Bunnies were distinct from Playmates, and clubs carefully vetted women for elite roles in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and London. Rare in the 1960s, Playboy Bunnies were afforded a largely unprecedented level of financial independence, and many were able to save enough money to purchase their own homes.