Sept. 19, 2016 By Christian Murray
Secrets, the crime-plagued strip joint located at 49-19 Queens Boulevard, was shut down by the police earlier this month and the chances of it reopening are uncertain.
The police closed the club on September 9 following a series of violations, such as the sale of narcotics inside the establishment, a robbery near the premises, failure to comply with state liquor authority rules and not providing its employees with workers compensation.
The club was also in the news last November after a murder took place outside the premises following a dispute between club goers.
Deputy Inspector John Travaglia, commanding officer of the 108 Precinct, said at a Woodside community meeting Thursday that there is a 50-50 chance that the premises will not reopen.
Travaglia said the precinct is currently working to impose conditions on the premises—such as limiting its hours of operation and requiring security changes—before permitting it to reopen.
The new conditions would need to be approved by a Queens County Supreme Court judge.
Robert Mari, the club’s manager who is trying to reopen the venue as its new owner, spoke to Community Board 2’s City Services & Public Safety Committee on Wednesday.
Mari’s attorney said the club didn’t fight the closure when the police action was brought before the court. “I feel that given the history that we should give something to the community and police, and get our house in order,” he said.
Pat O’Brien, chairman of the committee, didn’t take too kindly to this rationale. “When you say you want to give something back to the community that is a new tack for a gentlemen’s club to take,” he said.
O’Brien, who is an attorney, said that the reason the club did not fight the closure was because it had no defense against the case the police legal team had put together.
Mari claimed the club had become a police target due to its reputation and said violations such as workers compensation were unfair and that the narcotics were sold by a bad dancer in January.
O’Brien countered that “bad management hires bad dancers” and that the club admitted to the violations by not defending against them in court.
Mari said the police want him to close at 2 am for the first six months that it reopens and to be closed on Sundays and Mondays. He said that in total the police want him to agree to 15 changes.
O’Brien said that Mari should come back to Community Board 2 once they clear up the violations with the court. A court date is schedule in late October, according to the attorney for the club.
Travaglia said that the conditions the police put on the club cannot be overly harsh. He said that the courts have to agree that the terms are fair.
However, Travaglia said, that if the club is unable to make big changes then the police will suggest that they not be allowed to reopen.
Meanwhile, O’Brien told the new owner, “You have an uphill fight to keep this open.”
Secrets Gentlemen’s Club was closed down tonight. Thanks #NYPD Legal, 108 Special Ops LT and our Anti-Crime team! pic.twitter.com/49mwCgR2vP
— NYPD 108th Precinct (@NYPD108Pct) September 10, 2016
Featured Events
30 Comments
Whores need jobs too.
Open a dominatrix dungeon
Shake it- if you bring your 18 yr old son in that thug joint with those ghetto women you must be a great role model. Looks like jr isnt far from his 1st vacation at rikers. Good job
Pat O’Brien needs to get some more clients he’s the only lawyer on any community board that spends more time worrying about everyone’s business other than his own. Isn’t he a conflict of interest as a lawyer representing liquor licenses but yet trying to be big brother on everyone’s wrong doings?
And since when the hell do these cops give a shit or have any power to tell a business how to operate and when to be open? Leave that to the liquor authority to handle you little 108 cops aren’t experienced enough.
Sounds to me like someone isn’t getting a pay off or a lap dance when they get done walking the beat.
This place is perfectly located for all the shit bags frequenting it so why bust there chops it’s no worse than the hotel across the street housing all the homeless and these political jerkoffs don’t try stopping that.
My thoughts are this is located next to the new building going up on the corner so now Pat and JVB can get this shut down so they have there pay day in the years to come.
These cops don’t do anything now or help anyone when they need it but they’re all over a place with naked vulnerable girls, cash and dope.
It is perfect for a gay bar. Sunnyside/lic has alot of gay folks, it would make good money. Jax heights ,one of the largest gay/lesbian neighborhoods in the country is just 4stops or a bus ride away. Cant miss
now where will i go?
-Angela’s husband Gallaghers.
They should rename it hugs n thugs
“He said that in total the police want him to agree to 15 changes.” Are these new stipulations? When do the police get involved in how a business is run? When a business breaks a law sure, but what’s with this statement?
” If it attracts drug traffic, alcoholism, late-night brawls, gun fights and shootings, and contributes to infidelity, broken families and VD, too,” All of these things happen in bars other then strip joints, clubs other than strip joints, movie theaters, schools,parks and even churches. You sound preoccupied to the point of being obsessed. Mac is right just dissect your comments to this stream and you can see an unhealthy obsession. You sound like you have sexual hangups. Sex is a natural part of the human psyche. The church has been trying to stop it for 2000 years and they pretty much have conceded they are beating a dead horse. As for you letting them survive and your impression about the enterprise, who cares you’re nothing but a narcissistic self righteous moralist. Like Mac said you don’t like what happens in a strip joint just don’t go in. You live your life and let others live theirs.
You make all kinds of projections onto others to mask the fact that you and others make your life exciting with this stuff. It aint against the law, but it is scraping the bottom of the barrel. Closely tied to drugs, crime, organized crime, prostitution. That’s what you like, go for it. No one has to admire you for it. And other people are free to hope the place becomes something more wholesome. Good luck!
You really don’t know what the hell you’re talking about but it sounds funny. Keep going.
where will i take my son to make him a man when he turns 18??
Calling names is pretty primitive so there you prove my point.
No. I post anonymously because men regularly prey on women in public places including the comments section of this weblog.
Men have that weak point and women exploit it–that is a simple statement of fact. Everyone needs to make a living. Beyond the fact that they get to survive, which is very good, my impression is that the whole enterprise is based in and generates even more lies and deceits. I’m guessing no men stand up proudly and say to all and sundry, “Well, I’m off to the strip joint for a lap dance. Can I pick up anything on my way home?” If it attracts drug traffic, alcoholism, late-night brawls, gun fights and shootings, and contributes to infidelity, broken families and VD, too, then the industry earns itself even fewer supporters among the general public. Guys will pay for it and women who need money will give it to them but there is nothing admirable about any of it in my opinion. At least I never heard of it winning any awards for public service. You can like it if you want and I can dislike it. Free country.
-A You don’t want VD use a condom stupid.
You are stupid enough to think that’s news to people! Stupider than anyone I ever met.
Plenty of guys proudly announce they are off to the strip joint. Just not in front of you.
Liar.
Well, then, they won’t mind someone standing outside taking pictures and asking for names will they? Great! I got a new job!
-anonymous I’ll do the same for you at your next pyschiatrist office visit. You harass people, people will ultimately harass you.
Hey, another person using my screen name? That’s odd.
Primitive…haha Somebody is sitting perched high on a pedestal. hahaha
From your spot under the floor everything looks high!
-Anonymous You don’t want to be exploited then don’t go into the bar plain and simple. “Exploitation” is a common factor in American business. Tobacco companies knowingly “manipulated” or “exploited” the addictive component of their products to get more people addicted. Pharmaceutical companies exploit studies and buy favor to get their addictive product to market. Many insurance companies engage in “bad faith” insurance tactics to avoid their contractual obligations and enrich themselves and bottom line. To quote your warped post ” It is a saloon that attracts patrons by featuring women who make a reliable living exploiting men’s weakest point “. Is your problem that it is women making the money in this case? You don’t seem to mention the men who frequent such places of their own free will. I noticed you never mention the owners of this establishment who are most definitely men profiting from the very same ‘business”, as with the people who are profiting in the tobacco, insurance and pharmaceutical companies. You’re a misogynistic phony who actually believes men are being victimized by women. That is the very same mentality as many, if not most, of the most prolific serial killers in this country. Is that why you chose to post anonymously?
What’s the matter, Mac? Missing a lap dance or two? If anybody dislikes women, it is probably you.
How much is the rent, shouldn’t be too hard to get someone else to rent the spot, unless landlord has connections with owners (new or old, they must be all related).
Why would anyone rent that spot? It has zero foot traffic and no parking. Tear down everything on that block and put a real park there.
Thank you Sunnyside Post for calling it what it is: a strip joint. It may be men who frequent it most but certainly not all of them are gentle. Since anyone can walk in it can not be a club. It is a saloon that attracts patrons by featuring women who make a reliable living exploiting men’s weakest point their hardwired hormonal response to the female form in an enticing posture. It is not illegal but people stirring their most primitive instincts often do other primitive things while they are there, don’t they?
Is it really that hard to find a decent law abiding tenant for that spot?
@Mac: Simply stop having these idiot politicians write less laws.