413047-Underground-Commercial-Sex-Economy

where it was four [hundred], you can pay me $1,500 and I’ll hand you your massage license right over the
counter.”
Asian massage parlors are typically located in commercial zones in San Diego and charge a $60 house fee
for a one-hour, “non-sexual” massage. Women working in the parlor keep $10 of the $60 and any
additional tips. The massage parlor manager, commonly referred to as the “mama-san,” teaches the
women how to earn larger tips, which often involves trading sexual acts. Women usually work 12 to 14
hours a day. If workers only earn $10 per hour for a non-sexual massage, their maximum daily earnings
would be between $120 and $140. One law enforcement official stated the charge per sex act “anywhere
from $60 to $120 dollars. And that would be, excuse me, for a hand job. So if you did ‘full service’ it would
probably run you a couple hundred, 300 dollars” (San Diego Law Enforcement).
Figure 4.7 Erotic Massage Parlors in the San Diego Metro Area
Law enforcement has evidence that the Asian massage parlors are run by a large criminal organization
that spans the United States and other countries, with the money trail leading back to China. The
organization involves a multitude of players ranging from the individual creating false documents (e.g.
visas, licenses, etc.) to the acupuncturist or masseuse leasing out his or her name to the massage parlor:
I interviewed one guy and he said it to me this way, he described it as a pyramid. On the
top, for this particular one, on the top is this guy. I think they said he owned like six or
seven massage parlors himself. And then they referred to it as “I’m in contract with this
guy.” So he’s in contract with the pyramid for two or three stores, and this guy over here
is in contract with the pyramid holder for one or two stores and on down the line. So the
original pyramid guy may own six or seven stores of his own, but with contract with all
these other people, maybe 15 stores that he is getting a cut out of. And then you have your
acupuncturist, who will go and sell their name for $400 bucks a month or so, for them to
use to use their acupuncture name on their license in the business, because those are
ways of getting around massage rules and regulations for actual massage parlors, for
certain things and rules they have to follow. But being an acupuncturist they are
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