FDNY uncovers dungeon casino and illegal bedrooms under Manhattan massage parlor during battery inspection
FDNY finds 17 slot machines, counterfeit goods and improvised living spaces in basement areas of Elizabeth Street buildings; authorities issue vacate orders and summonses amid battery-charging hazards
FDNY Fire Protection Inspectors conducting an inspection into unlawful charging of lithium-ion batteries at 118 and 120 Elizabeth Street near Grand Street around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday uncovered a basement labyrinth beneath two buildings that house a massage parlor, containing 17 slot machines and a stash of counterfeit designer bags. The investigation was triggered by a complaint about charging hazardous lithium-ion batteries inside the connected buildings, authorities said.
Investigators described front and rear cellars converted into sleeping areas, with mazelike hallways turned into single-room occupancy units crowded with mattresses, clutter, hot plates and space heaters plugged into extension cords. None of the rooms had secondary exits, creating severe life risks. FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker called the conditions a death trap waiting to happen. Lithium-ion batteries were found charging throughout the space, alongside the illegal slot machines and other items. The space is connected to the massage parlor on the ground floor.
The NYPD Vice Squad confiscated the gambling equipment and counterfeit items, while the city’s Department of Buildings issued a partial vacate order for the cellar spaces in both buildings. Two FDNY summonses and two criminal summonses were issued, but no arrests were announced.
Lithium-ion batteries have sparked fires citywide in recent years, and inspectors emphasized the ongoing risk posed by improper charging and makeshift electrical setups in informal living spaces around the city. Sources said the massage parlor operates on the ground floor of the property and that sleeping rooms were found in the rear portions of the building.
FDNY officials said the investigation continues and stressed the importance of maintaining safe electrical practices and proper housing codes, noting that the illegal spaces created both life-safety hazards and illegal business activity in the same building. Tucker thanked the investigators and partner agencies, saying that their work helped prevent a catastrophe before it happened.