In A Stroke Of Bad Luck, Suspected Smith Street Brothel Appears Closed For Business
The clientele who patronized a now-shuttered business on Smith Street will likely have to search elsewhere for employees of “the oldest profession.”
The New York Post reported that Tao, Inc., a suspected brothel, is no longer accepting patrons for massages — and possibly a lot more — at their storefront on 257 Smith Street, between Douglass and Degraw Streets.
Last week, Post reporter Brad Hamilton entered the establishment posing as a customer for a massage in order to find out about the goings-on inside the building, which previously housed the Indian eatery Baluchi’s.
“Coco smiled and giggled girlishly as she took the reporter by the hand and led him down a dark, narrow hallway to a small purple room with a thin mattress on the floor,” reported The Post. “She asked for payment, and he handed over $50 for an hour massage. He was instructed to take off his clothes, skivvies included. He did.”
“Well . . . everything,” the reported said, after being asked “What you like? [sic]” by “Coco.” He gave her $230 total — $50 for the “basic massage” and an additional $180 for “everything.”
The Post reports what happened after she briefly left and returned to the room:
Coco proceeded to disrobe, taking off her black bra and red panties, which she twirled in front of his face. She grabbed the reporter’s hand and tried to induce him to touch her breasts. He refused.
She then pulled out a condom, unwrapped it and moved to put it on the reporter. He declined again. She seemed confused that he didn’t want sex.
Neighbors previously expressed concern for the goings on at 257 Smith Street, first reported by Katia Kelly of Pardon Me For Asking (PMFA) almost three weeks ago.
“Amidst the restaurants, boutiques and nail places, it would appear that we now have a house of ill repute,” Kelly wrote on her November 15 post.
Kelly wrote that concerned emails had been coming from local residents three weeks previous to her post. “Whatever Tao, Inc. is or stands for is hard to determine from the outside,” she wrote. “Heavy curtains hang in the front window, the front door is covered in paper and entry is only granted by ringing a bell. Two small video cameras have been installed to monitor the sidewalk.”
At 12:30pm on Thursday, December 8, a Post reporter was told by one of two women rushing in and out of the businesses door that “It[‘s] not opening anymore!” Another woman, who drove off in a white Lexus RX330, said “Owner told me to say it not opening anymore. Owner tell me they are going to take your picture. Don’t take my picture [sic].”
“The NYPD is conducting an investigation regarding the location,” a spokesperson told BKLYNER. No arrests have been made at this time.
Evidence from an ad posted on Backpage, which included an “adult entertainment” section suggests the place did offer sex. “Every day we have 8 girls working . . . u can pick…Come be a King,” reads the Backpage ad. The ad still remains published, but the phone number listed on it currently goes to voicemail.
Kelly updated her PMFA post, stating that neighbors — out of concern for the potential danger of the women at 257 Smith Street — “have already reached out to the Urban Justice Center, Red Umbrella Project and the New York Asian Women’s Center.”
