I've always assumed it was based on his real life experiences working in mafia-owned clubs. I highly doubt a young Richard Pryor pulled a gun out on a bunch of wise guys, but I can definitely see them kicking it with a young comedian after the show, getting drunk and acting exactly how Pryor portrays them in his routine. There also really was a black stripper named Satin Doll. She's still alive and her real name is Toni Elling. She was originally from Detroit and she became friends with Sammy Davis Jr and Joe Louis from her performances between the 1950s-70s. Obviously there's no way to prove this woman complained to Richard Pryor about not getting paid at a nightclub in Youngstown, but the timeframe, location and details are right. I'd bet that it happened.