Queens brothel appears to reopen after being shut down by NYPD

CORONA, Queens (PIX11) -- An alleged brothel in Corona, Queens, that was raided and shut down by the NYPD on Friday appears to have reopened already.

Lights were visible at 98-07 Roosevelt Avenue Tuesday night, but someone inside shut the lights out and drew the blinds when PIX11 crews were spotted.

Around the corner were four women sitting on a sidewalk outside a doorway behind a bodega. They were caught on an undercover camera offering a full body massage for $60 per hour.

Ramon Ramirez, with the Let's Improve Roosevelt Avenue Coalition, tells PIX11 News "The police came to close, and next day it's open. We have a crisis in the community, we need help."

City Councilman Francisco Moya, who represents the district that includes Jackson Heights and Corona Queens, introduced a bill back in June that would require all massage parlors to be licensed by New York City.

Only the person giving a massage needs a New York State License. He says making the businesses have licenses like barber shops and nail salons would allow New York City Health Inspectors the legal ability to routinely enter and check the establishments.  

Moya tells PIX11 News the bill will be up for a hearing soon.

He adds "While the police are doing everything that can to combat this, it is an extensive period for them to investigate and close these establishments down. What it would allow us to do is create regulation to an industry that has not been regulated for many, many years."

In Albany, the Chief of Staff for State Senator Julia Salazar tells PIX11 News, that she plans to reintroduce a bill that would decriminalize prostitution between consenting adults. It failed to make it out of the code committee's last session.  

Former state Senator Hiram Monserrate, who has been working with the Roosevelt Avenue Coalition tells PIX11 News "Decriminalizing it would make it worse, it would be brothels and prostitution on steroids."