After two prostitution arrests at the Sun Spa on City Island in June, police finally shuttered it, at least temporarily, on Friday, October 2.
Reports of widespread illegal massages at that location, which featured a service called a “happy ending,” led police to crack down and send in the vice squad to the Sun Spa many times.
The closure of the Sun Spa, on City Island Avenue near Bridge Street, marks the hopeful end of a crusade that brought out the City Island Civic Association fight prostitution. CICA president Bill Stanton led the fight.
“The fight against the Sun Spa was the first time in a long time City Islanders have realized that we can get things done if we work together,” Stanton said. “City Islanders worked to provide intelligence to the vice unit and the 45th Precinct. They did not sit down and just observe and not do anything.”
While Stanton was grateful for the 45th Precinct and all of the fine work he said they did on the case, he had harsher words for the Archdiocese of New York. Stanton said that he had reached out to the archdiocese because the Sun Spa sat just four doors from St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, but never received any help.
Nevertheless, Stanton said he would continue to fight quality of life crimes on the island.
“This fight is not over,” Stanton said. “There is much work left to do.”
