Bridgeport police said they closed down 10 illegal massage parlors in the city during a daylong sweep on Wednesday.
“As a community and police department we won’t tolerate these types of establishments,” Police Chief Joe Gaudett said in a statement from police. “Prostitution is not a victimless crime. It frays the fabric of our community, both for residents and nearby merchants.”
The city’s narcotics and vice squad conducted the raid, with assistance from the State Police Statewide Narcotics Task Force and the city Health Department.
State law requires all massage parlors, managers and masseuses to be licensed by the state and the city has an ordinance as well.
“These laws are now on the books and they will be strictly enforced,” Mayor Bill Finch said in a statement from police. “It’s a quality of life issue. People going to a restaurant for a family dinner shouldn’t be exposed this type of activity next door or down the street.”
According to police Capt. A.J. Perez, the supervisor of the narcotics and vice squad, none of the 10 parlors or the women working there had the required documents, leading to all being closed down by the Health Department.
“These places are houses of prostitution. There’s no one licensed at any of them to give an actual massage,” Gaudett said.
Police said one person was arrested on a warrant from Danbury.
The patrons were from cities and towns throughout Fairfield and New Haven counties.
The places that were closed down were:
- Tokyo Spa, 2925 Fairfield Ave.
- Chate’au, 2662 Fairfield Ave.
- Silver, 2742 Fairfield Ave.
- Hawaii Salon, 3486 Fairfield Ave.
- Osaka, 3941 Main St.
- American Asian Modeling, 3853 Main St.
- Oriental Health Spa, 2336 Main St.
- Kay’s Hong Kong, 604 North Ave.
- Fantasy Studio, 2742 Lindley St.
- Jasmine Salon, 40 Summerfield Ave.
Gaudett said the locations will be closely monitored in case they illegally reopen or open under a new name.
Many of the employees were from Korea and presented driver’s licenses from New York and Pennsylvania, Perez said, while several others were Connecticut residents.
Photo Credit: Getty Images
