4 JUNE 23 – JUNE 29, 2017 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
Dozens of arrests as
cops target massage parlors
in Bensonhurst, Bath Beach
BY HELEN KLEIN
HKLEINBROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Cops in Bensonhurst and
Bath Beach arrested more
than 30 people between
March and June, in an extended
undercover sting operation that
focused on massage parlors in
the neighborhoods.
A total of 33 locations in the
neighborhood were targeted by
62nd Precinct cops, working in
cooperation with the NYPD Vice
Squad, and investigators from
Worker’s Compensation and the
Department of Buildings, and
supported by a host of “community
partners,” according to Deputy
Inspector Anthony Sanseverino,
the precinct commander, following
initial reports about three
locations back in March.
The initial operation involved
six di erent locations, he said,
four of which were closed down
temporarily. Those four, as well
as an additional three, are being
pursued for nuisance abatement,
which would result in a permanent
solution, said Sanseverino.
Locations where arrests for
prostitution were made during
the operation are 2156 Bath
Avenue, 2 Bay 25th Street, 7605
18th Avenue (four arrests on two
separate occasions), 8614 18th
Avenue (where a total of seven
arrests were made on three separate
occasions), 7517 20th Avenue
(three arrests on two separate
occasions), 1810 76th Street, 1878
86th Street (three arrests), 1938
86th Street (fi ve arrests on two
separate occasions), 1955 86th
Street (two arrests), 1963 86th
Street (two arrests), 2178 86th
Street (six arrests on two separate
occasions) and 2180 86th
Street (two arrests).
In addition, on May 2, the
task force made an arrest at 6511
Bay Parkway of an individual,
who Sanseverino referred to as
“management there,” in which a
skimming device, forged credit
cards and some controlled substances
were discovered. That
BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP/Photo by Helen Klein
During an extended sting operation, seven people were
arrested on three separate occasions at this particular
massage parlor.
person, Sanseverino said, was
“also wanted for pistol whipping
someone in Queens.”
Usually, complaints about
prostitution behind closed doors
are “routed to Vice,” Sanseverino
said, but, this time, a er Community
Board 11 “brought a couple
of locations to our attention,” the
precinct expanded the investigation,
which requires extensive
surveillance, as well as research
and in-depth analysis.
CB 11 made sure that all the appropriate
city agencies received
word of the issue, said Marnee
Elias-Pavia, the board’s district
manager. “Complaints received
for massage parlors are fi led with
the Department of Buildings to
ensure compliance with zoning
and building use,” she told this
paper. “Most, if not all, of the
reported locations have received
multiple violations, amounting
to thousands of dollars in fi nes.
These locations are also forwarded
to the 62nd Precinct for
alleged criminal activity.”
“There’s been a lot of good
work, a hard push in the right
direction,” Sanseverino said.
“Now, our plan is to stay on a nice
pace and continue to work with
Vice, Worker’s Compensation,
the Department of Buildings and
our partners in the community.
It’s not going to be an overnight
process. It’s a long and tedious
process, and we’re utilizing whatever
tools we have in our tool belt
to get the job done.”
This paper was fi rst alerted to
the issue by City Council candidate
Liam McCabe, who learned
about it in a tweet made by Father
Michael Gelfant, the pastor of St.
Finbar’s Church.
A er McCabe reached out to
Gelfant, the pair walked up and
down 86th Street between Bay
19th Street and Bay Parkway, and
observed the string of neon store
fronts.
“We saw tons of little pink
lights that read ‘foot massage.’
The avenue looked like a red
light district,” McCabe recalled,
adding that Gelfant also told
him some of his parishioners
had approached him claiming
that they had been solicited
while walking by the businesses
on 86th Street.
Additional reporting contributed
by Patrick Weinberg.
CAREY TUNNEL CHANGES
A shi in the work zone has begun for roadway
restoration work of the old Brooklyn toll
plaza at the Hugh L. Carey Tunnel that will
continue until Saturday, July 8.
The work zone will shi from the center
lanes to the east side of the plaza and will
require full closures of individual tunnel
approach lanes.
There will be a full closure of the Hicks
Street entrance from Hamilton Avenue Manhattan
bound. However, the Clinton Street
entrance ramp and the Hamilton Avenue
(southbound) entrance to the BQE East and
Gowanus will be reopened.
On the plaza, four lanes of tra c (two in
either direction) will be maintained, as will
the morning two-way tube that receives HOV/
bus tra c from the Gowanus/BQE. Two lanes
will be maintained to the Gowanus from the
tunnel.
The MTA says this is the fi nal stage of the
work to restore the roadway surface on the
plaza following the removal of the toll booths.
The tunnel converted to cashless tolling on
January 4.
Motorists can sign up for e-mail or text
alerts at www.mta.info.
—Jaime DeJesus
NOW READ THIS...
Attention bookworms–your commute just
got a little more exciting.
The six-week-long “Subway Library” promotion
that will be turning your subway car into
a reader’s paradise began on June 8. Thanks
to the promotion, hosted by the MTA and the
New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Public
Library and the Queens Library, riders will be
able to access free e-books, e-shorts and book
excerpts via free TransitWirelessWiFi. Click
on the SubwayLibrary.com prompt to access
hundreds of titles.
—Dylan Campbell
OPTION 'X' AT DMV
New legislation introduced by a Sunset
Park politician could give drivers the right
to choose a non-binary gender when dealing
with the Department of Motor Vehicles
(DMV).
The bill — introduced on Monday, June 19,
smack in the middle of Pride Month, by Assemblymember
Felix Ortiz — would provide three
options for gender designation by driver's
license and learner's permit applicants: male,
female and X, giving those who do not identify
as male or female a third option.
Oregon just became the fi rst state to allow
a non-binary gender marker on driver’s licenses.
Oregon's new rule will go into e ect
July 1.
—Meaghan McGoldrick