New York’s Staten Island — For almost two decades, a self-described ex-sex addict fed his addiction by going to Staten Island subterranean brothels that seemed to be respectable spas and massage parlors.
It wasn’t cheap, like any addiction, costing thousands of dollars over the years in exchange for dozens of women’s sexual actions.
The lifelong borough resident, who talked to the Advance/SILive.com on condition of anonymity, has been using these establishments to satisfy his addiction for over 20 years, but he is now calling attention to the illegal sector he helped support for years.
He said that the ladies who performed the services felt dehumanized by the experience, as they were paraded in front of clients who would choose their favorite masseuse.
The girls would be taken and marched out. The insider claimed that after feeling sorry for the females since they were dressed in such revealing clothing, you would choose your favorite and carry out your duties.
The Staten Island Advance/SILive.com has covered these sex for sale spas in great detail, and law enforcement officials have attempted to close them down over the years, demonstrating how long-standing the problem has been in the city.
The source, who provided firsthand knowledge of the inner workings of the illegal economy here on Staten Island, stated that no matter how many places are closed, others soon spring up to take their place.
How it works
Appointments at these places are usually planned for a specified time, during which no other appointments are scheduled, to protect the privacy of the patrons and prevent others from seeing individuals who frequent the location.
After paying a house fee, usually between $50 and $60, when they arrive, customers are escorted away by the woman of their choice.
The additional sums paid for illicit sexual services then depend on the specifics of the request; they usually start at about $100 and increase for more physically taxing sexual acts.
Although some employees will receive tips via CashApp or other technological ways, payments are typically made only in cash to shield the company from any kind of digital paper trail, according to the insider.
Underground community
Additionally, it is far simpler to locate places that provide these services than one may imagine, as numerous online forums, such as ampreviews.net, have hundreds of postings evaluating and talking about nearby businesses and the ladies who work there.
The subterranean industry in the borough is the subject of around 700 threads with over 3,000 comments on the sStaten Island section of the website.
Commenters will include information about their recent experiences in the evaluations, such as the location, phone number, and cost of the facility, as well as the country, estimated age, and physical attributes of their masseuse—sometimes in graphic detail.
Although the online message boards mention a number of sites, the individual who talked to Advance/SILive.com pointed to one business on Hylan Boulevard in Eltingville that he claimed had been providing these services for years but had just shuttered.
On May 24, 2024, a 32-year-old male from New Dorp was arrested and charged with third-degree prostitution patronage at the spa on Hylan Boulevard in Eltingville, according to a spokesperson of the NYPD’s Deputy Commissioner Public Information.
Since the beginning of 2023, the site has received 62,311 complaints, including 30 related to noise, 13 related to drug use, 12 related to illegal parking, 6 related to drinking, and 1 related to loitering.
The issue, according to the insider, is that other businesses swiftly spring up to replace those that are busted and closed.
The source, who was himself a customer of these illegal establishments, stated that he expects that by criticizing the sector, he will be able to address the long-standing community problem and encourage local authorities to take further enforcement action.
It had been a good three or four years since the Advance previously brought attention to this problem. It did. According to the source, it was like dead.
After the Advance/SILive.com published an article in 2014 about a number of sex for sale spas and massage parlors in the borough, a number of undercover operations were conducted, which led to the closure of six businesses the following year.
A known issue
Law enforcement officials on Staten Island are aware of the problem with these spas, as they have been for the previous 10 years, and they are making every effort to close them down.
We acknowledge that illegal massage parlors on and around Staten Island are a growing threat to public safety and quality of life. District Attorney Michael E. McMahon stated, “As the chief law enforcement officer of Staten Island, we remain committed to tackling the issue and will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners in the NYPD to combat this illegal activity.”
The district attorney’s office stated that it is making every effort to resolve this persistent problem, but it was unable to comment on specific places mentioned in internet posts.
We have previously used targeted enforcement actions with our partners to prosecute violators and have used civil enforcement actions under nuisance abatement laws to close these locations wherever feasible, but we are unable to comment on specific, ongoing, or open investigations and prosecutions. McMahon continued, “We will continue to work to maintain and protect the public safety and quality of life here on Staten Island, and we kindly ask the public to notify our office of any known sites operating in our community.”
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