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Cops say lawyers ran midtown brothel (Big Apple)
New York Daily News ^ | July 19th 2008 | BARBARA ROSS, KRISTEN V. BROWN AND ALISON GENDAR

Posted on 07/19/2008 3:58:49 AM PDT by KLFuchs

(Porn star Alexia Moore performs on stage ...

... and hurries out of court Friday night.)

(Louis Posner)

Teams of vice cops swooped down and busted a posh midtown strip club that catered to stockbrokers and bankers - and featured porn stars who charged $5,000 for private trysts.

Prominent tax lawyer Louis Posner; his wife, Betty; and 19 others were arrested on a variety of prostitution and money-laundering charges at The Hot Lap Dance Club, which the couple ran out of a velvet-heavy loft, police said.

Cops said Posner raked in $1 million over the last 10 months from the operation, which billed itself as "the Number 1 Gentlemen's Club in the World."

Four of the club's dancers including busty, streaked-blond porn star Alexia Moore - were busted for prostitution.

Another 15 strip club employees - including a rejected NYPD applicant and a private security officer - were arrested in Thursday's raid, sources said. No customers were cuffed.

The fifth-floor fantasy lounge on W. 38th St. offered its well-heeled members topless and all-nude lap dances from a bevy of beauties.

To get in, patrons had to be recommended by another member, or pass muster with the club's Internet screeners, cops said. There was a $50 cover charge plus a $20 membership fee.

Patrons then had to get past club security, "two monsters at the door downstairs," said a source familiar with the sizzling jiggle joint.

Besides half a dozen private bedrooms, the plush 7,000-foot loft had small cubicles patrons could rent for $300 for 15 minutes of fun - up from just $160 when the prostitution probe began a year ago, cops said.

For $500 to $5,000 more, the high-rollers could retire to private bedrooms for more personalized attention, or arrange for sex "off-premises."

Patrons who ran low on cash could hit the loft's ATM for up to $900 per visit.

A 13-page criminal complaint said undercover cops posing as men interested in throwing a bachelor party were told they could have a private room - with a bed - for $250 an hour, plus whatever they spent on the women.

"The house dealer of cocaine" came by the club every night and one manager boasted to undercover cops, "Lou has a source in the NYPD payroll so he can know who's a cop," the complaint said.

Dancers called Posner "Daddy" and one employee told an undercover cop the women had to have sex with Posner if they wanted a job, court records said.

Cops said Posner laundered the sex profits through Voter March, a nonprofit voter registration organization he founded.

"He's a lawyer who specializes in tax matters so he knew how to go below the radar," said Sgt. Christopher Koch of the NYPD's VICE club unit.

Investigators seized $570,000 from the Posners' 13 bank accounts and two safe deposit boxes. A law enforcement source said all the money can be traced back to the club and is subject to forfeiture.

Tenants who shared digs in the building said they dimed out the sex club to cops two years ago.

"Everybody knew it was a sex club," said Bruce Gilarei, 45. "One of the tenants here went to check it out with his girlfriend."

Posner, once known as the king of nuisance lawsuits, brought a landmark $16 million suit against his then-4-year-old son's nursery school in 1992 for letting the child run out of his classroom.

That son, Daniel, now nearly 20, told reporters he didn't know anything about the strip club.

A neighbor in the Posners' posh E. 48th St. apartment building, where monthly rents run $6,000 to $10,000, called the couple quiet - but odd.

"They are just the most low-key people," said a next-door neighbor who didn't want to give his name. "A little strange, but very low-key. They keep to themselves."

A lawyer who shared an office suit with Posner was dumbfounded.

"It's the last thing I would think anyone who works so hard to be a lawyer would do."

But a stunning stripper in her mid-20s who wasn't among those arrested Friday described Posner as "a sleazy, disgusting and disloyal boss" who often hit on the girls.

She said two weeks ago Posner announced that customer complaints were prompting him to weed out bad dancers with "auditions" for managers he said would be used to critique the women on "the art of lap dancing."

Moore, whose real name is Cassandra Malandri, was released on her own recognizance after her arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Cout Friday night. The Posners were expected to be arraigned Saturday.

The club last made news in March when it was sued by a securities trader who claimed he was seriously injured when a lap-dancing stripper swiveled and slammed him in the face with her shoe. ruce Gilarei


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: acorn; corruptdems; louisposner; nobloodforoil; nyc; nypd; posner; prostitution; voterfraud; votermarch
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To: Cindy

This bust must have caught everyone off guard.

The site is up. Many server files are open. The forum is accessable and there is enough info on some of the usernames to show how long they have been members.

http://www.hotlapdance.com/forum/memberlist.php


41 posted on 07/19/2008 5:41:02 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: csvset

I’ve often wondered about that porn “star” thing myself. Why do you never hear about a porn character actress for example. Also, why is a woman who has disfigured herself by having bags of silicon gel surgically implanted in her chest called “stunning”?


42 posted on 07/19/2008 5:41:07 AM PDT by tickmeister (tickmeister)
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To: FormerACLUmember

I want to know how many carbon footprints were left at this club.


43 posted on 07/19/2008 5:42:24 AM PDT by shadeaud
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To: Calpernia; backhoe; pissant; Grampa Dave; SierraWasp; calcowgirl; indylindy; TommyDale
Cops said Posner (the pimp) laundered sex profits through Voter March, a leftist nonprofit voter registration organization he founded ...... "He's a lawyer who specializes in tax matters so he knew how to go below the radar," said the NYPD's VICE unit.

====================================

Well how d'ya like that---talk about "birds of a feather." Read on.

=========================================

Emigre Mark Brener, charged with running the hooker ring which brought down Eliot Spizter, has been charged with violations of the Mann Act, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit interstate transportation in aid of racketeering.

Brener's money-laundering conspiracy, and interstate racketeering could involve one heck of a lot more than johns and whores. CONNECT THE DOTS Brener's IRS connections, his offshore connections, and far-flung prostitution in New York, Washington, Miami, London and Paris.

Emperor's Club hookers supposedly costing $1,000-$5,500 an hour, were paid for with cash, credit card, wire transfers or money orders. That raises enormous questions about money laundering, IRS fraud and evasion of US banking laws.

On the surface, emigre Brener ran the $5500-an-hour hooker operation and is the alleged mastermind of the high-end Emperors Club. But Brener was also working another operation---he was certified by the IRS to represent US taxpayers in disputes AND Brener also once worked for the Israeli national tax collection agency.

Brener knew the ropes.

The hooker operation could have facilitated tax evasion through crooked accounting, and/or faking high-priced trysts, then depositing the monies in friendly offshore banks to evade the IRS and US banking laws.......and in Spitzer's case evading the FEC.

Friendly banks might then wire transfer monies on which no taxes were paid to other accounts.

===================================================

DID POSNER'S OPERATION INVOLVE THIS? The beginning of Spitzer’s end can be traced to three banking transfers that left his personal account at the North Fork Bank in New York last spring and summer. For reasons that have not been satisfactorily explained, these payments totaling $15,000 attracted the attention of bank employees who monitor accounts for signs of suspicious activity. (NOTE: After 911, money-laundering laws were significantly tightened, requiring banks to file so-called “suspicious activity reports” whenever there is evidence that clients might be trying to sidestep routine regulations).

Spitzer’s money transfers to a company called QAT International Inc – later revealed to be a front for the Emperors Club – were reportedly considered by the bank to be an attempt to avoid another law that requires all transactions over $10,000 to be reported to the US Treasury.

Breaking down payments with intent to avoid US Treasury reporting is an offense known as “structuring.”

Then-Gov Spitzer’s administration has also been connected to a sophisticated "destroyer program" that erases computer hard drives.

44 posted on 07/19/2008 5:43:30 AM PDT by Liz (Taxpayer: one who works for the govt but doesn't have to take a civil service test. R. Reagan.)
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To: FormerACLUmember

< pet_peeve>
Silicon is an element used to make semiconductors. Silicone is a polymer used to make fake ta-tas.
< /pet_peeve>


45 posted on 07/19/2008 5:43:31 AM PDT by Slings and Arrows (~ ~ FREE LAZAMATAZ! ~ ~ [Shipping and handling charges may apply.])
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To: KLFuchs

46 posted on 07/19/2008 5:44:09 AM PDT by Textide
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To: MediaMole
From the VoterMarch "about" page:

The Voter March platform calls for a Voters' Bill of Rights for critically-needed reforms, including improved voter registration. Voter March also fully supports the peace and anti-war movements and is adamantly opposed to the unelected, illegitimate, unmandated President Bush and his Administration's plans to wage unilateral war against Iraq.

Voter March is independent and not funded or controlled by any organization. Voter March, Ltd. is a New York State not-for-profit organization that qualifies under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code as a tax exempt organization. The Director of Voter March is founder Louis J. Posner, a New York City attorney and member of the National Lawyer's Guild, who is listed in "Who's Who in American Lawyers," "Who's Who in America," and "Who's Who in the World."

47 posted on 07/19/2008 5:44:13 AM PDT by SC Swamp Fox (Join our Folding@Home team (Team# 36120) keyword: folding)
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Not just lapdances, special events for special tastes.

http://www.hotlapdance.com/forum/archive/index.php?t-63.html

For over 3 years Premium Events had some of the hottest private swinger parties in Manhattan. We had fabulous venues including a 5 Million Dollar celebrity loft in NoHo and ultra luxurious Penthouse hotel suites with panoramic views and roof gardens. We had the hottest couples in Manhattan, as well as couples from the West Coast and Europe visiting Manhattan. Our parties were uber hot and had more action then all of the other swinger parties put together. We even had gang xxxxxx with strikingly beautiful young housewifes and single females volunteered to be gang xxxxxxxxxxxx and bi-females with strapxxxxxx. Here is a link to some of our Premium Events swinger parties xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

During the first few months of 2006, we concurrently ran both the Premium Events couples swinger parties and the HOT Lap Dance parties. We then made the difficult decision to discontinue the Premium Events couple parties so we could concentrate all of our efforts on making our lap dance parties the best that New York has to offer. If you click on the old Premium Events website at xxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx it will redirect you to the Hot Lap dance club. We constantly get emails from couples begging us to have another couples swinger party. We have no plans on having more couples swinger parties and we invite other swinger clubs and parties to post here.

Couples and single females are always welcome at our lap dance parties. We are also planning on having a monthly Saturday night lap dance party for couples and single bi-females only.


48 posted on 07/19/2008 5:48:08 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: KLFuchs

(Cops said Posner raked in $1 million over the last 10
Cops said Posner laundered the sex profits through Voter March, a nonprofit voter registration organization he founded.
“He’s a lawyer who specializes in tax matters so he knew how to go below the radar,” said Sgt. Christopher Koch of the NYPD’s VICE club unit. )

You gotta love these New York Liberals... They sure can find unusal combinations.
Porn and Voting. Only they could have thought that one up.


49 posted on 07/19/2008 5:49:45 AM PDT by SECURE AMERICA (Got Freedom ? Thank a Veteran...... Want to keep Freedom? Don't vote Obama)
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To: SECURE AMERICA

“He’s a lawyer who specializes in tax matters”

Translation: “He’s a lawyer who specializes in commiting massive tax fraud”

.


50 posted on 07/19/2008 6:00:55 AM PDT by FormerACLUmember (When the past no longer illuminates the future, the spirit walks in darkness.)
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To: Liz

I wouldn’t be surprised at all if these clubs were related. I’m very comfortable in saying they were blind sided by this. This group ran tours, vacation packages, special event bookings, catered to flavors and had quite a net outreach. There is no way some of these internet services could have allowed the net access they even promoted as events without knowing what they were.

Multiple names, multiple businesses, live events, media events, tours and all high end.

And no mop up crew? No blocked access? Net connections all hanging out there and no one cleaning up?

Wow. I think someone(s) thought they were protected, and they are not.


51 posted on 07/19/2008 6:01:41 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: Liz; justicedenied13501

Gov Spitzer’s sophisticated “destroyer program” my know where those State Department entries and documents went!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2042734/posts
Missing Documents May Link Congressman Arcuri to Spitzer Scandal


52 posted on 07/19/2008 6:05:11 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: The Mayor

Tune up your blog!


53 posted on 07/19/2008 6:06:25 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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Heck, this may even go back to the Big Apple Sex Tours. Maybe?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-backroom/1472612/posts


54 posted on 07/19/2008 6:13:28 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: Slings and Arrows
Hey, I hear you like blonde pole dancers. Will this one do?


cross link

55 posted on 07/19/2008 6:27:17 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: Calpernia

Thankyou!

I’ll be back.


56 posted on 07/19/2008 6:28:08 AM PDT by The Mayor ( In Gods works we see His hand; in His Word we hear His heart)
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To: KLFuchs
Cops said Posner laundered the sex profits through Voter March, a nonprofit voter registration organization he founded. "He's a lawyer who specializes in tax matters so he knew how to go below the radar," said Sgt. Christopher Koch of the NYPD's VICE club unit.

The sex part is bad enough, but honestly, this is the part that concerns me. Am I morally out of whack?

57 posted on 07/19/2008 6:28:17 AM PDT by ovrtaxt (This election is like running in the Special Olympics. Even if McCain wins, we're still retarded.)
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To: Calpernia

I knew it!!


58 posted on 07/19/2008 6:31:29 AM PDT by ovrtaxt (This election is like running in the Special Olympics. Even if McCain wins, we're still retarded.)
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To: Slings and Arrows

“Those are MAN hands baby!”


59 posted on 07/19/2008 6:38:40 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: Calpernia

Voter March are part of ACORN!

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-bloggers/2043664/posts
Was ACORN Obama’s First Political Party?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036053/posts
The ACORN Obama Knows

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/2043252/posts
NONPROFIT MALFEASANCE [ACORN fraud Obama]

http://freerepublic.info/focus/f-bloggers/2041089/posts
Obama’s Ties To ACORN


60 posted on 07/19/2008 6:40:40 AM PDT by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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