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Norwalk: Police Raid Tranquility Spa Again and Again


by turfgrrl


May 11th, 2007 · 19 Comments

So the Police conducted another undercover operation and lo and behold they found nekkid women at the tranquility spa. From The Hour:

Police spokesman Lt. Paul Resnick said an undercover officer entered the business and was solicited for a sex act by a female employee. The officer then gave a signal, and a team of officers came in to make arrests and search the premises.

Special Services officers investigate vice crimes. They have raided the Tranquility location numerous times for allegedly operating as a brothel, most recently on April 27.

Three women who are Korean nationals and reside in Flushing, N.Y., were arrested there Wednesday, Resnick said.
Suchin Paik, 63, was charged with promoting prostitution.

A police report of the incident identified her as the spa’s “mama-san,” a term used in East Asia to identify a woman working as a supervisor in a sex work establishment, according to the online Wikipedia encyclopedia.

Nayoung Kim, 49, and Kim Yang Lee, 41, were charged with prostitution and conspiracy to commit prostitution.

Both were completely naked when the arrest team entered, the report said.

And Harold Corbin cited the wikki as an information source. How cool is that. Maybe the Hour will start getting hip to linking on their web site. Back to the story:

Police have been making frequent raids of unlicensed health spas and message therapy businesses in the city allegedly operating as fronts for prostitution, with the intent of having them closed as public nuisances. The Chief State’s Attorney can seek the closing of an establishment after three or more arrests are made at the site, or arrest warrants are served there, within a year for public nuisance crimes.

Now I seem to remember reading something about this just a few weeks ago. What was it? Oh yes. John Nickerson reported on April 28th (emphasis mine):

A month ago, police asked state prosecutors to use the state’s Nuisance Abatement and Quality of Life Act to shut down 261 Tranquility and Nirvana Spa at 181 Main St.
That request was turned down because police did not act quickly enough to turn in their reports of earlier raids at those locations to the state’s Nuisance Abatement Unit before a one year deadline.
Yesterday’s raid may help bolster the city’s complaint against Tranquility.

It seems our Norwalk Police have a problem conducting investigations and then following up on them. The Pagano incident is one glaring example. “Todd” was never interrogated. Now we see that the Norwalk Police failed to file paperwork with the state on time. This allowed the spas to continue to operate, and now we see that they are executing more investigations into those spas. So are they going to turn in the paperwork on these investigations? Or will we find the same article being written a year from now?

source: The Hour, Police raid Tranquility again, arrest 3 workers, By HAROLD F. COBIN, May 11, 2007

source: Norwalk Advocate, Prostitution arrests made at spa again, By John Nickerson, April 28, 2007

Tags: In the News · Norwalk

19 Responses so far ↓ “Norwalk: Police Raid Tranquility Spa Again and Again”



  • 1 Anonymous // May 11, 2007 at 8:16 am

    Ah, yes… the law and order era of Mayor Moccia. A revolving door approach to prostitution and daylight gang shootings. Norwalk, a safe place to raise yer kids up!

  • 2 Anonymous // May 11, 2007 at 8:29 am

    So #1, you agree that the Police dropped the ball on the Pagano showing porn to a child incident? Don’t you think its time time to ask just what exactly the Police are doing when you have drug deals in Bryant Park?

  • 3 concerned citizen // May 11, 2007 at 8:34 am

    #1…we can see how well things were carried out Knopp and the Pagano mess. “Todd” is probably employed elsewhere in Norwalk thanks to Knopp & Co. Maybe it’ll be YOUR child ho winds up working next to “Todd”. Remember to thank Alex for sweeping it under the rug so as not to taint his, uh hmm, “legacy”.

    As far as the girls working the tranquity spa, I hear they need a new “Food Tester Chef” at Central Kitchen. They apparently have the “required” credentials. Just have them ask for Stuart Ophall.

  • 4 Anonymous // May 11, 2007 at 8:49 am

    I think that if circumstances and evidence warranted it, charges would have been filed by now in the Pagano issue.

    I don’t believe either Knopp or Wells have the kind of influence to be able to affect what happens in the police department under The Dick’s regime.

    However, Mike Coffey seems to be quite interested in keeping the issue alive. Odd that two years later and during a time when he is making noises about running for mayor, that he suddenly gets all “Law and Order” on Knopp & Co.

    Bryant Park? Don’t know about that. I do know that I’ve seen drug dealing on Woodward Avenue between the corners of Burritt and Meadow, not half a mile from the Police Department. That was there before the new headquarters, and exists still.

  • 5 Anonymous // May 11, 2007 at 9:14 am

    Number 4, its not a question of whether charges were filed when the investigation was bungled, or interferred with, depending on your point of view. The Police did not do their job. Pick your reason why, but the documents were posted here. It happened, and the Police did not do their job.

  • 6 anon // May 11, 2007 at 9:35 am

    #4 in response to “I don’t believe either Knopp or Wells have the kind of influence to be able to affect what happens in the police department under The Dick’s regime.” The pagano incident didn’t happen under this administration . Get your facts right before making stupid comments. The dems are all about coverup when it comes to their own but always at the ready to blame others and trash republicans when they can’t justify their actions.

  • 7 Anonymous // May 11, 2007 at 9:43 am

    I guess then that Moccia can do whatever he wants, then. Why isn’t he pursuing the matter?

    FYI: I was stating an opinion (not a fact) about how much power Wells and Knopp have. You may want to read posts a little more carefully before responding with your own biased “blame the past administration” diatribe. Moccia supporters seem to fall back on that every time someone asks why an issue hasn’t been dealt with. It’s wearing thin.

    Moccia was elected to deal with issues that are happening now. To continually refer to problems that may or may not be factually rooted in the past is just spin to avoid responsibility for dealing with them.

  • 8 anon // May 11, 2007 at 11:08 am

    So, its not ok then to blame everything on Knopp because the past is the past so why then are you still blaming Esposito? (Seems you just don’t like republicans in any way shape or form) I don’t happen to be a Moccia fan but he’s doing his job and this town is finally getting somewhere. Maybe its not Moccia thats doing it all but the council(Some of them anyway) seem to be going in the right direction and perhaps someday we’ll all live in a perfect world.

  • 9 Anonymous // May 11, 2007 at 11:12 am

    Esposito? Where did I mention Esposito? And tell me what Moccia is doing to deal with the drug dealing and the prostitution issues?

  • 10 Museum Pro. // May 11, 2007 at 11:20 am

    I wonder if you can’t go to the Spa now, can any of the nail spas that offer “rubs” service you in the back room, or do they deliver to the Norwalk White House AKA Norwalk Motor Inn - “Dick’s Unofficial Residence”

  • 11 anon // May 11, 2007 at 11:31 am

    #9-I was not accusing you of blaming Esposito, I was making a general statement to those who continually blame Espo for things and praise Knopp for all he didn’t do. Most of the projects that got finished or are in many stages of completion started under Esposito not Knopp. He only took credit for them because he was in office at the time, unlike Moccia who constantly gives Knopp credit for things that he was a part of. By the way, do you read the papers at all? DCan you get the whole picture or are your rose colored glasses a little too dark? How many huge drug busts have there been in the last 2 years? You might want to look that one up. As far as crime in this city, do you really think in all honesty that this is going to come to a screaching halt? If you do then perhaps its not rose colored glasses you are wearing but maybe just plain old blinders.

  • 12 anon // May 11, 2007 at 11:34 am

    PS #10-Mayor Moccia DOES NOT LIVE AT THE INN..can you read that or did you borrow #9’s blinders? why don’t you ask him where he lives? On second thought..Mayor Moccia if you are reading this blog as the morning comics can you please put this one to rest?

  • 13 anon // May 11, 2007 at 12:09 pm

    For a point of reference, here are just a few of the headlines in recent times of drug arrests since Nov.of 2006
    Norwalk man arrested in drug sale, police say Vice squad investigation was under way for 6 months
    Jonathan Lucas; Advocate; Mar 1, 2007; pg. A.4;
    Sweep results in more than 50 drug arrests
    Advocate - Stamford, Conn. Author: Matt Breslow
    Date: Sep 23, 2006

    Drug Sweep-More than 66 charged in 4- month operation
    Advocate - Stamford, Conn. Date: Oct 26, 2006

    Police mum on sweep that yields 26 arrests Most suspects face drug and trespassing charges
    Advocate; Sep 22, 2006;

    Man facing charges of trying to start meth lab
    Lisa Chamoff; Advocate; Aug 24, 2006;

    Police drug sting yields two arrests Crack and marijuana seized after surveillance operation
    Matt Breslow; Advocate; Aug 17, 2006;

    Special officers nab alleged drug dealer Six-month investigation results in multiple narcotics charges
    John Nickerson; Advocate; Jun 15, 2006;

    Undercover officers arrest 7 in drug sting
    Matt Breslow; Advocate; May 6, 2006;

    Man to serve 10 years in drug case
    Matt Breslow; Advocate; Feb 23, 2006;

  • 14 Anonymous // May 11, 2007 at 12:14 pm

    Looks like drug dealing is a booming business in Norwalk. I am sure between the police department and local defense attorneys, there is plenty to keep them busy.

    Making a claim that lots of arrests are being made is like saying progress is being made in Iraq because lots of insurgents are being killed.

  • 15 anon // May 11, 2007 at 12:36 pm

    #14-I was making reference to a comment about what is being done about drug dealing in Norwalk and searched for articles that prove that efforts are being made to rid this city of these unwanted criminals. I was not saying that its all fixed or will be any time soon, just the facts is all I have presented for you. Every time someone tries to give facts on this site they are trampled on. But those who would spew hurtful untruths are praised for their efforts.

  • 16 Anonymous // May 11, 2007 at 12:42 pm

    Aw, huht ow widdle feewings, did I? If you haven’t noticed yet, the concept of what is truthful on this blog varies wildly.

    My original contention still stands. Lots of arrests do not mean the problem is going away. Just the opposite.

  • 17 anon // May 11, 2007 at 1:13 pm

    Norwalk has always had a drug problem. My husband worked undercover from New Haven because the Norwalk police were on the take. Forget blamming any mayor for that, its been going on for years. Don’t be surprised if a sting like the one in New Haven reveals the truth.

  • 18 Martha // Jul 11, 2007 at 1:12 pm

    Who actually cares about Spas? Should I consider it as a huge success or something to close some Korean place? Come on, grow up.

  • 19 Anonymous // Jul 11, 2007 at 2:48 pm

    Marhta, you might care if your son was going there for prostition. Or because there are spas that engage in human trafficking right here in our fair city. Personally I don’t care becuse prostition is inevitable and the oldest profession. It should be regulated however to protect the innocent.