WTF. Just heard on CBS news that federal agents raided Cheetahs in Midtown NYC early this morning and are still there investigating.
"Operation Dancing Brides" was the code name of that ever is going on.
Bizzarre.





Oh dear god.... They have something called "the charlie sheen room" inside the club. Idiots, they deserve to be shut down.
http://www.mycheetahsnyc.com/gallery...y/gallery.html





Wow, this is ridiculous. This whole raid was over immigration issues with some of the dancers.
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/stri...s-20111130-lgf
And I hate how they always throw the term "sex trafficking" in any time there is a sex industry bust involving girls from other countries. I can't remember the last time I heard of one of these raids leading to a girl actually being "saved" from her alleged captors. In fact, more times than not they end up arresting the girls too!
I deal with Russian dancers all the time in the tri-state area and I can tell you that they most certainly do not seem to be held against their will and they are among the least likely to engage in dicey ITC or OTC activities. In fact, some of these girls are bonified sharks with strong hustles. Shit, it is a poorly kept secret that there are a number of clubs in the tri-state area that would be almost completely cleaned out of dancers if ICE started sweeping through them.
I guess what made this bust so appealing was the involvement of Italian mafia.
While terms like "slavery", "captor" and "captive" are certainly over the top, there definitely is an element that takes advantage of Russian and other Eastern European dancers. I've personally seen it . More than once.
Russian and Ukrainian dancers are notorious for having "pimps" that chauffer them around to the clubs and get a piece of what they earn.





Eric, I am familiar with the system employed by the Russians in staffing these clubs and the term "pimps" is a bit strong, unless you are suggesting that these girls are being offered up for sex - which has not been my experience. They use their own form of an agency system whereby transportation (usually from Brooklyn) is included. And it is usually not the driver getting paid a big chunk, but rather it is whomever is sourcing girls for the club. In fact, sometimes the "boss" is another dancer.
To me , anyone that "feeds off" a woman is a "pimp". The gals do the work and the "boss" gets a cut.
Like a lot of things, there is a wide variance in how these women are treated. At best, there is quid pro quo where the dancer gets the bookings and transportation in exchange for a piece of her earnings. At worst, they are genuinely exploited. Many times they are illegal
and have no one to complain to about the way they are treated.
I will never forget hanging out in a club in N.J. not too long ago and watching as an exhausted Russian dancer was brought in to the club. She had just worked a full Day shift at another club and now was going on stage to work the Night shift.
She got off stage and was subjected to a vicious "pep talk" by the goon who drove her. How do I know ? One of the other dancers was a friend of mine and spoke Russian. She told me the whole story and a lot more besides.
Btw, you are right that Russians are not big on doing extras.
Last edited by Eric Stoner; 11-30-2011 at 01:21 PM.





C'mon dude. If you were to apply the term "pimp" to anyone who gets a % for setting things up then talent agents, recruiters and a variety of other people would fall under that definition.
I can't speak to the situation you witnessed, but, as I said before, I deal a lot with Russian girls working in Queens and CT. Nobody is telling them that they are required to work at any particular club or even on any particular shifts. They can, and often do, switch clubs as they see fit. They are also free to do whatever they want with their free time and nobody is telling them where they have to live, though many (but not all) of them choose to live in the Brighton Beach area of Brooklyn as there is a vibrant Russian community there. The girls I deal with also travel, take vacations and otherwise live how they want to. They are also far from disconnected from the broader world and some of these girls are carrying smart phones that put my Blackberry to shame.
The one additional point that I will add is that many of these Russian girls are well educated. In fact, many of them attended university in Russia, which allowed them to come over here on student visas under the guise of continuing their studies. Heck, just three nights ago I enjoyed time with a Russian girl who speaks 8 different languages and, last week, I dealt with another Russian girl who has traveled all over the world and was regaling me with tales of Tel Aviv.
In a nutshell, these Russian girls are not unsophisticated, barely literate immigrants who are being exploited because they do not know any better. Further, as we both agree, they are certainly not whores and their "bosses" are most definitely not pushing them to do things that they are not comfortable with.
The agency system is usually club-specific. If a girl wants to switch to another club, she coordinates with whoever the "boss" is for that club. If she doesn't like what she hears, she can stay at her existing club or find yet another option.





many more details now available at
Agree with your assessment that the Gambino / Bonnano aspect is what drove this federal investigation to start with. But the other consequences will be 'painful'.
Obviously ICE took a 'black eye' from this publicity ... meaning that there's likely to be a major increase in future ICE attention re all NY clubs, and a major increase in ID scrutiny by all NY clubs when hiring new dancers.
And the FEDS involved with this investigation were based in New Jersey, which means that NY based FEDS took a 'black eye' as well. This will probably mean increased future attention by NY based FEDS for all NY clubs.
The IRS and NY tax people are going to start looking under rocks in an attempt to 'cash in' on RICO enabled forfeitures of illegal earnings. It's not likely that such investigations will be strictly limited just to Cheetahs.





Melonie, I agree with a lot of what you said. I am concerned about the potential consequences for some of my favorite clubs in Queens.
And in a telling blurb regarding the women being "rescued" by ICE:
It’s unclear whether the women involved knew what they were getting into. The feds expect at least some will face charges.If they were trafficked, why would they be charged with crimes?![]()



Here is some irony for you.... as I am watching a hockey game I get a pop up ad: '' Busty Russian women love western men.....men; sign up now.''
I agree with Rick there are a lot of Russians here at the Cheetah & they are strong & very smart.



What is with you men and your blind fascination. Mail order bride come to life in front of you fantasy?
A Lifestyle is what you pay for, a Life is what pays You.





I hear you regarding Queens Blvd. ! But yes a lot of new 'attention' is likely to turn in that direction.I am concerned about the potential consequences for some of my favorite clubs in Queens
there are a lot of Russians ... they are strong & very smart
Also, being a 'realist' as well as a native of NY, I also have to wonder whether A. the timing of this raid was 'less than random', and B. whether the particular club targeted by this raid ( and other particular clubs that are most likely to be affected by the fallout ) was 'deliberately selected' !
First of all, I can think of at least a dozen clubs within a 10 mile radius that arguably have just as high of a presence of Russian dancers with 'bosses'. Second, NYC club customer spending in the month of December probably comprises something like 30% of total club customer spending for the entire year - thus temporarily shutting down a club in the month of December will be financially painful for that club while offering 'windfall profits' to other clubs in the immediate area. Third, the other clubs in the immediate vicinity of Cheetahs are almost all 'corporate' ... with more than one of them also having their base of operations in New Jersey ( the jurisdiction from which this FED bust originated ) !!!
As I said, the treatment of these women runs the gamut from decent and honorable to outright exploitation. Likewise, the women fall into many categories from worldly and sophisticated to ignorant.
What I witenssed and have been told about is admittedly an extreme , at one end of the spectrum.
I also distinguish between those who provide a service or benefit and are compensated for it and those who clearly exploit and profit off of women.
They already went after Gallagher's for unpaid taxes. That case ought to tell the state and Federal tax authorities that these clubs are not necessarily the low hanging fruit that they might think them to be.
Usually there has to be an underlying felony conviction for there to be a forfeiture and/or loss of liquor license.





All the news that is fit to print: http://gothamist.com/2011/12/01/20_a..._illegal_i.php
NEW YORK – Owners, managers and associates of several strip clubs in the New York City-area — involved in an alleged international visa and marriage fraud ring — were arrested Wednesday by agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS).
In total, 20 individuals were arrested for their participation in a visa and marriage fraud scheme involving the La Cosa Nostra organized crime families.
http://www.ice.gov/news/releases/1111/111130newyork.htm





One more story---- from the Post
"Authorities said the nubile illegal aliens used phony offers of waitressing jobs to score summer-work and travel visas — which bar visitors to the United States from working in the adult-entertainment industry.
But once on American soil, the women allegedly served up flesh at nine jiggle joints in New York City and Long Island."
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/m...#ixzz1fKgTVCNH





Shit, shit, shit, shit SHIT!
I am a big fan of Rouge and I enjoy a visit to G2000 now and again as well. Now both clubs are going to be decimated as virtually all of their night shift dancers are Russian.
SHIT!





^^^ but, as I tried to point out earlier, Cheetah's / Gallegher's / Rouge's loss is Lace's / Flashdancer's gain !!!





LOL Melonie. If you mean in terms of increased customer business then I might agree, but I'm not so sure about the particular dancers in question. And I cannot stand those Manhattan clubs anyway...
I guess that I will just need to hope that places like Riviera and Goldfinger pick up the slack.




Dude, this is just like when you go to Guam, you get set up with a place to stay but you have to pay for it. They don't give you your ticket to go back home until after you've been there a while....... is that slavery? No, you could buy your own ticket and leave if you wanted to. And I'm sure they weren't being 'forced' into marrying citizens. Puh-leeze, people in Miami do that shit all the time and pay thousands just to get their papers.
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