Facebook
Fark
Digg
Reddit
StumbleProstitution concerns prompt city to close massage parlor
Tarkanian: ‘At least people know that we mean business’
Published Wednesday, July 21, 2010 | 1:55 p.m.
Updated Wednesday, July 21, 2010 | 4:45 p.m.
Map of Oriental Angels Massage
Oriental Angels Massage
2600 W. Sahara Ave., Las Vegas
The Las Vegas City Council has shut down a massage parlor amidst findings that employees had allegedly offered more than just a tender touch.
Five employees at Oriental Angels Massage, 2600 W. Sahara Ave., were arrested in connection with soliciting prostitution between 2008 and 2010. The council voted today to revoke the parlor’s business license and charged the owner a $50,000 fine for what it called a pattern of illegal conduct.
The owner, Ran Jinli, has also been accused of failing to hire employees with valid licenses as massage therapists.
The council voted unanimously to cancel Oriental Angels’ business license. The fine was approved on a 4-3 vote.
"If they appeal it and it's lowered, at least they are going to pay a fine, and at least people know that we mean business," Councilwoman Lois Tarkanian told reporters after the vote.
Tarkanian, who represents the neighborhood where the massage parlor operated, made the motion to levy the $50,000 fine, saying she thought that a clear pattern of illegal conduct had been established over the last 2 1/2 years.
Councilmen Gary Reese, Steve Ross and Stavros Anthony all joined her in voting for the fine.
"We need to send a clear message to the community this won't be tolerated," Ross said.
Mayor Oscar Goodman and Councilmen Steve Wolfson and Ricki Y. Barlow all voted to revoke the license, but voted against the fine, saying it was too much.
The city's attorney had told the council they might want to consider limiting the fine to $1,000 per incident, unless they thought a clear pattern had been established. Wolfson said he preferred a $5,000 fine — $1,000 for each of the five arrests at the establishment.
Discussion: comments so far…
Comments are moderated by Las Vegas Sun editors. Our goal is not to limit the discussion, but rather to elevate it. Comments should be relevant and contain no abusive language. Comments that are off-topic, vulgar, profane or include personal attacks will be removed. Full comments policy. Additionally, we now display comments from trusted commenters by default. Those wishing to become a trusted commenter need to verify their identity or sign in with Facebook Connect to tie their Facebook account to their Las Vegas Sun account. For more on this change, read our story about how it works and why we did it.
Only trusted comments are displayed on this page. Untrusted comments have expired from this story.
No trusted comments have been posted.
Post a comment
Most Popular
- Viewed
- Discussed
- E-mailed
- UNLV can move forward without the burden of losing streak to San Diego State
- A wife’s wisdom shows birth control issue needn’t be divisive
- Motorcycle accident claims life of man in northeast valley
- Surprise links, negotiated deals addressed by commissioners
- Hope and change and … what’s missing?
- New York mayor has the right idea
- We don’t need a CEO in charge
- Paying our own way
- Country has ‘given’ citizens a lot
- Jerry Tarkanian: Mike Moser impresses yet again on a day to remember former Rebel greats
Blogs
The Kats Report
Color from scene at Thomas & Mack: We have a wire job! Rebels win, and Louie Armstrong sings!
South Point owner Michael Gaughan's take on 'Vegas Stripped': 'I'll give it an 8' (4 Comments)
Author relishes writing the life story of ‘larger-than-life’ Oscar Goodman (3 Comments)
Elsewhere
Landowner: All roads could lead to Uxbridge casino
Revel reveals smoke-free casino opening
Cirque du Soleil show in Sands China casino to close this month
Meet the woman behind Sheldon Adelson
The Sun
Locally owned and independent for more than 50 years.
What do you think the chance is this fine will ever be paid?
Oh come on now I go there twice a week for massage now who else is gonna take my happy ending coupon??
They heard Al Gore was going to visit Las Vegas.
I'm sure all the non-franchise "massage" parlors are the same. Wonder why they picked on this one, maybe all the government workers were going there for... lunch?
I'm guessing the three that voted against it are current clients?
Based on that they will have to close down the state legislature.
City of Las Vegas finally cracks
down on neighborhood brothels
Clark County District Attorney refuses to cooperate
INSIDE VEGAS by Steve Miller
AmericanMafia.com
May 31, 2010
http://www.americanmafia.com/Inside_Vega...
1 down, 500 more to go...
Obviously, someone didn't make the "protection" payment.
its pretty much legal here drive around at 2 am n the only things open are strip clubs casinos n massage parlors
the worlds oldest profession is not going to go away. a least legalizing it would provide tax revenue and probably eliminate underage and sex trafficiting.
good! who's next?
Obviously the local government wants to be the one screwing you
legalize it and tax
Aw geez......Why'd they do THAT? Now they're gonna move into MY neighborhood!
I liked it better when they were in Steve Miller's neighborhood.
maybe the damn county and/or city should just legalize it and be done with it. revenue the state desperately needs.
Why it is illeagal to massage certain parts of my body and not others.
And some didn't have massage licenses... now that's a shocker.
A good victory against human trafficking that occurs right here in Las Vegas. Many woman at massage parlors such as these are held against their will.
Guess they stopped paying off the right officials.. Reminds me of the Roxie's bust back in the early sixties
so stupid, legalize and tax prostitution like amsterdam in clark county and see the tourists REALLY flock to this town! why be legal in every county but clark and washoe?
I was hoping this story had a Happy Ending.
Heard Al Gore and Clinton were customers all for bringing "jobs to Vegas" !
Is the rumor true that Obama was not "satisfied" with his massage and subsequently ordered the place be shut down?
They should change the classification to physical therapists..Then they can really work you over legally..
Now all them massage girls will have to become Brackjack dearers.
@Burrittobandit2
Great post! :))
Where do we go now??
Guess Mommy Tarkanian is a little perturbed that her 'little boy' didn't make the cut for Senator! I watched this one on TV and she was in complete 'lecture mode'. The fine is way too high, and another place just like this one will pop up in her neighborhood sooner than she can say 'my son's a loser'.
When will the place be available for a new business like my new martial arts training place?
and what about all the nasty mexicanos handing out flyers of "entertainers" , directly on the strip? They're heading these postitute-advertisements even to kids and grannies, it's so ridiculous. And why is the city not after this crab?
From Switzerland
I was at a casino the other night , of course I cannot mention the name of the establishment as otherwise they would remove my comment (perhaps they will do anyways). Well, as it happened, I passed the bar on my way to the videopoker machines that I love. All the machines were taken by others so I had to wait. Guess what happened? A girl from the bar waved me over and asked me the regular standard approch question..."Hey, bubblegum man, where are you heading....bla bla bla....". I knew from the very first moment what it was all about. I said to her that I only have 1000 in my pocket, so she said...well....I think we can find an arrangement. But of course I am not going to pay 1000 dollars for some......what you call...."entertainment". I just walked away.
As long as this business is officially illegal, these *entertainers* keep charging ridiculous amounts of money. And as we see, there are always people ready to pay for it. I don't pay 1000, sorry.
If it would be legalized, just in Pahrump, there wouldn't be no problems. This way it's an underground business and you never know who you're up against and if maybe one day you wake up in the morning, and your money's gone, and so is she, with your credit cards and your Rolex watch.
From Switzerland
i say make it leagl and better yet make a red light district downtown take 4 to 5 blocks and clean it up and put all the girls and tax it! The amount of working girls is amazing in this town and yeah its leagl 45 min away but tourists never wanna take that drive.
Look this is vegas say what you want about it being right or wrong its gonna happen we as a people should make it as safe as possible for our guests!
50 years ago vegas was the only spot for casinos now there are casinos in almost every state we need somthing like this to really put a spark into the town to revive that vegas spirt of what ever goes.
At the same time weed should be made leagl if we got either or i honestly belive it would be better for the town.
Now as in all things i dont want hookers in residenal areas but i see nothing wrong with keeping it on the resort coridor or downtown away from our children and taxing it. It will be far better than seeing those cards and mags and moving billboards running around town!
So Boris,how much are you willing to pay?If not a grand then whats it worth? Last thing I heard my ex and her friends were still hangin at some of the locals casino bars.They will be easy to spot,just picture the Jersey Shore girls in about 30 years .Just flash some green and theyre all yours.
At least the "girls" are not Menninites and Mormons. The last Menninite contact was at the Ramada Inn in Topeka and she was going to buy the CEO of the Kansas Gaming Commission a beer after skinning rabbits all day and calling hogs.
I'm shocked! Shocked that there's prostitution going on in a massage parlor in Vegas! What is the world coming to?
"A good victory against human trafficking that occurs right here in Las Vegas. Many woman at massage parlors such as these are held against their will."
maybe then people will start immigrating here legally
================================================
"so stupid, legalize and tax prostitution like amsterdam in clark county and see the tourists REALLY flock to this town! why be legal in every county but clark and washoe?"
I FLIPPIN AGREE! but no thats too smart!
================================================
"Now as in all things i dont want hookers in residenal areas but i see nothing wrong with keeping it on the resort coridor or downtown away from our children and taxing it. It will be far better than seeing those cards and mags and moving billboards running around town!"
a lot of them actually live in summerlin! anyways, i agree and also the cards will not go away because they will now be pimp cars instead of entertainers cards!
lets face it people, clark county and the city of las vegas are run by idiots. legalize it, tax it, make millions.
millions and millions of dollars they can steal and line their own pockets with.
how much money per year is spent on metros anti hooker taskforce or whatever they have? now that money saved within metro means they can use it to train their worthless trigger happy cops better!
how much money in taxes are paid out? well, special zoning means special tax rates, zoning fees, annual property taxes they didnt have before, and of course the per customer revenue! not to mention the costs to regulate, make the whores pay for their weekly testing, etc. its a never ending gold mine.
oh yea, and lets see, the increase in room revenue from the people that will now come to vegas to do this kind of stuff. bachelor parties already come here but now they others may add vegas to their list...now they may go not only to strip clubs but when they are hot and heavy there they can go to get one rubbed out legally!
its a win win win win win no matter what
Bundy5, in my opinion, 100 is fully enough for a 20 minutes action show. This should also include all service and handling fees and the regular taxes, and of course, the tip.
So, back to your question, that would be the amount I would be willing to "donate" for entertainment. But I understand that these girls at the casino bars still believe we are before 2007, and everybody has pockets full of money-to-burn. Therefore, it's fine with me if they keep sitting at the casino bars and talking zero-brain-conversation all night long. I will still not pay what they want.
From Switzerland
geez, why dont you guys go home to your wives and enjoy the scenery; you already paid for it!
Too bad. This is just another case of government sticking their nose where it doesn't belong.
Prostitution is a good career. If a sex worker manages her money right she can retire after 10 years on the job.
What better job opportunity is there for women?
Boris,
If it was 1000, you were played...200 bucks in the casino is sufficient for any religious position of your choice. Spoken from first hand knowledge of a "user of the service" that was in our party at a south strip casino.
When the last time you offered your wife a grand for a Happy Ending?
Get real
Burrittobandit2 and acesbet do both risk a broken nose here. Burrittobandit2 for running around stealing buritos, acesbet for compairing people's wifes with whores.
By the way, does anybody know when the place will be available for a new business like my new martial arts training place?
Ever since my favorite therapist named Yung Pu Tang quit the massage parlor business a while back, I havent been a customer anymore....
But seriously folks, some people that have been clients at this place before, couldnt get laid at a whorehouse if they was the only whore in the establishment.
When will the place be available for a new business like my new martial arts training place?
That's the only thing I am interested in. I don't need your silly word games about any positions or how you name your wifes here.
Is there anybody who can tell me anything about the availability of that place, to open a new business?
Sex acts from masseuses! Oh say it isn't so!
Sounds to me like someone forgot to pay a bribe. I'll never forget Clark County Commissioner Chris Giuchigliani being quoted in this very paper that they hadn't cracked down on places like the Green Door because they had never "caught them in the act". What, were these women giving happy endings in the middle of the street?
The corruption and stupidity in Las Vegas is beyond fiction.
I'd like to name the new place "Chucky's brides' martial arts training center".
Ok, talking seriously now, I know there are plenty of young guys who'd like to train martial arts the traditional style way, not that UFC crap we can see everywhere today.
newman, even 200 is way too much. as long as the market pays for it, these "entertainer" make good money. but let's be honest, hey, after 20 minutes, the action-show is over, and 200 for some action? I would not go over 100.
In Vietnam and Thailand you get it for 20 dollars, and I am talking of...."making good love". What you get in Vegas from a 200 (0r 500 dollar) entertainer in a 20 minutes quick-an-action-happy-ending spectacular is not even half as good as these Vietnam and Thay babes are offering. So this is my advise: For gaming, goto Vegas, for "action" fly to Bangkok. That's teh best advise I can give you at this point.
From Switzerland
From Switzerland
I love that A, the Sun provides a map to the place in case you're not sure where it is, and B, our $200,000 a year police officers are "protecting" us by receiving HJ's in massage parlors - just awesome. I mean... try getting them to show up to take a report for an actual crime.
"We need to send a clear message to the community this won't be tolerated".
What won't be tolerated? This business was not a blight on the area. The ladies weren't standing out on Sahara, in scanty clothes, holding signs for massages.
They paid a goodly amount in rent to the management company. There was NOTHING visible from the sidewalk. There is no school in the strip mall, no childcare no nothing. From the outside, you'd never know that the business was there.
Nothing but a bunch of prudes, who spread their unhappy lifestyles on the rest of us.
Get a life. Live and let live. Metro has enough to do without wasting time, money and resources to catch a few girls.
If you get it for free, it's legal. If you take a girl out and buy dinner, shows, drinks, and taker her home, it's legal. It should NOT be legal to eliminate the formalities. Both parties benefit. Unless metro and the city council can PROVE that the ladies were being coerced, and were being held hostage, and forced to act under penalty of injury or threat of death, there is NOTHING wrong.
Let metro take care real crime. Crimes against the people in the community. Robbery, vandalism, theft. Not what is perceived to be a crime because it hurts your thought process.
We need massage parlors like this in Las Vegas. They should make it legal to have sexual services. They have them all over Asia, it brings in much needed tax revenue and it keeps sex crimes down to a minimum by providing a release for pent up energy.
I bet if the various massage parlors held a campaign for some top political figure they would not have this problem.
Who do you pick as the best political figure for something like this to occur?
<Prostitution concerns prompt city to close massage parlor>
This headline is so redundant. Like this doesn't happen and MOST of the massage parlors. IT'S LAS VEGAS for goodness sakes, not some bible belt small town with a population of 1500!!! (Not that there isn't a "trashy girl" living there).
You would think this is the biggest problem Vegas faces......
Sorry...meant "this doesn't happen IN MOST of the massage parlors."
They will have one next at the airport across from the liquor store. The new terminal will be called Hooch and Cooch.
boris, we dont give a crap you are from switzerland nor do we care to see it every time you post your rubbish
I don't like prostitution. I prefer Sex Therapy over prostitution(they are different). Prostitution lowers a women heart for a relationship and men don't learn how to communicate. Sex therapy does help commuications if done properly. Yet; I nor anyone can stop the oldest profession in the world. Legalize it, tax it hard, make sure the ladies & men are in the doctor's office once a month at the owners expense, and any abuses done to anyone has a safe place to report it and get results quickly at the owners expense. Any owner violating these laws, let them pay money until it hurts so bad that they will never do it again. Loosing money hurts and it is the best controller. Also, with prostitution can easily come illegal drugs. No tolerance for it "period." Take it from experience. It needs to be heavily babysat or it will get dangerously out of hand and the babysitters need to be paid without being corrupted. And the business needs to be in a safe place away from children and have privacy from the radicals and seeing eyes hurting the prostitutes and the tricks. The tricks, owners, prostitutes and babysitters have to be safe from violent compititors, anyone else who would hurt them, and each other. It is a very emotional & money makeing business and can get violent. To have this business with the great needs for balance of openess and privacy, is truely a tricky business. If it is done right, it can help Las Vegas out of this financial mess. If done wrong, it will destroy what little fabric this city has. Whether we like it or not, Las Vegas is Sin City. But; not all Las Vegans are sinful. And neither is a prostitute if done right.
sightwenty, I appreciate your negativity, you make my day, dude.
fact is, although Vegas has decided to prohibit prostitution in the city boundries. Am I right or not? So then tell me, why does the city apparently look away when these mexicanos are handing out these stupid fliers to each and everybody walking trom Flamingo to Harrah's? Are they blind or what? All it would take is a phone call to these agencies and tell them that it's illegal to run such businesses. But they don't do nothing. Instead, they come up with closing massage parlors whereas tourists, grannies and kids alike are being handed these fliers with 150 dollar massages advertisings, showing nude "dancers" on these fliers. And the mexicanos that hand out these fliers are obviously collecting a percentage based on the number of fliers they're handing out.
Let me tell you what, my friend: I am one of the returning tourists, one of the many returning tourists this city needs to survive. And I can tell you that these annoying Mexicanos are really pissing me off. But not only me. And still, the poice doesn't do nothing about it. So much about your political system in your city, my friend.
From Switzerland
@sigtwenty: You also risk a broken nose here.
Why are you so upset about how a commenter closes his/her comment which belongs to the commenter's right of free speech and publishing.
"gettocard" closes by 'Cheers from Italy', "Boris*" closes by 'Greetings from Switzerland' or 'From Switzerland'. It's all their own business, but no reason for a guy like you, who is to be called names, to monkey around here, understood?
Meet me at my martial arts training center to teach you some lessons, every evening from 5 p.m. - 23 p.m.
Legalize, tax and regulate. Limit it all to a red light district. It seems like 90% of tourists who come here think it is legal anyway. Why not capitalize on the industry?
This story rubs me the wrong way.
muddupucker, if you f_ck your mother your son might be your brother.
Never do that, and never risk a broken nose.
Chuck Nollis opening a new martiar alts buirding.
sportyyetpracical:
The Green Door is a swinger's club, not a massage parlor. Swingers go there and meet other swingers.
Krases...GREAT POINT