Questions linger, but this
business is closed for now

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Neighbors had been complaining for months about suspicious activity at an unmarked three-story house on one of Fox Chase’s main commercial strips.
On March 28, city officials confirmed what the local folks had been saying. Inspectors from the Department of Licenses and Inspections shut down the would-be nail salon at 431 Rhawn St. after they determined that the site was actually home to an unlicensed massage parlor.
According to law enforcement sources, the business operated under the name Jade Carousel Spa and touted itself in print advertisements with the slogan, "No horsing around. Just Oriental massage done right." The ads included a carousel horse graphic.
Authorities generally suspect businesses that advertise "Oriental massage" as fronts for prostitution, particularly those that don’t include an address or hours in their ads.
The Jade Carousel ad appeared in classified sections of March 8 editions of the Northeast Times with a telephone number, but no address or hours. The only location given was "Fox Chase area."
When the Northeast Times visited the Rhawn Street house last week, no one answered the door. There were no signs on the exterior of the building that would promote the business to passersby and the community at large.
The site’s immediate neighbors include a real estate office to the east and a nightclub to the west. There are homes beyond the rear of the property.
There were no arrests in connection with the L&I action, according to Deputy Commissioner Dominic Verdi. Police sources would not confirm any criminal investigation involving the business.
L&I posted the site with a cease-and-desist order, banning activity there. Representatives of the business must contact the department and obtain necessary permits if they wish to reopen.
L&I and the Zoning Board of Adjustment attempt to closely regulate massage businesses throughout the city by requiring special zoning permits specific to the activity, as well as state certification of the massage therapists.
According to Verdi, 431 Rhawn St. had permits for a nail salon on the first floor and an apartment upstairs.
At a meeting of the Fox Chase Homeowners Association and Fox Chase Town Watch on March 14, neighborhood residents complained about a pattern of suspicious activity on the site. District Attorney Lynne Abraham attended the Fox Chase meeting.
L&I spokeswoman Gayle Johns confirmed that the department had received community complaints about the location. ••
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com