A former bartender at Manhattan's Sapphire Gentlemen's Club has accused the strip joint of still engaging in “forced prostitution” even after a lawsuit was settled last year with two dancers who made similar allegations.
In a lawsuit filed Thursday in state Supreme Court, Madison Greenstreet, 34, claims she was forced to serve drinks in the club's private rooms while dancers served their naked customers before she was ultimately fired in late November for complaining about the working environment and harassment. .
“I've seen and heard a lot from dancers, but I've kept it quiet because I had to pay my bills,” Greenstreet, who had been with the club since June 2022, told DailyMail.com in an exclusive interview.
She claimed she was also constantly harassed by her boss, Desmond Finger, who reportedly liked to make fun of his last name and how he would use his grades to please women.
“He was always making sexual comments, like about my breasts or whatever I was wearing,” she told DailyMail.com. “It was just really awkward.”
Madison Greenstreet, 34, claims she was fired from her bartending job at Sapphire Gentleman's Club in Midtown East after she complained about the “prostitution ring” that subjected her to “constant” sexual harassment at work
Greenstreet's legal complaint comes nearly a year after two former dancers filed a $25 million lawsuit against Sapphire Gentlemen's Club over its “toxic” work environment, where dancers were allegedly asked to perform oral sex for money while the club 'turned a blind eye'
Greenstreet claimed that when she rejected his advances, he would retaliate by making her work life a living hell, constantly discrediting her while giving preferential treatment to others who indulged him. After months of abuse, she said, she contacted human resources.
The bosses responded by cutting her hours and having her work in the restaurant department, where she received significantly lower tips, according to court papers.
She said she later went back to HR and spoke about the “prostitution” she witnessed. She was told the club would 'look into it'.
Prominent lawyer Joe Tacopina, who represents Greenstreet, told DailyMail.com: 'When she brought up the prostitution, the HR person said, 'Wow, that's a very serious allegation and that's something we need to look into because we know very well that she had just gone through this (with the earlier lawsuit).”
“Their way of looking at it was to fire the whistleblower.”
The club's lawyer, Jeffrey Kimmel, told DailyMail.com: 'Ms Greenstreet's allegations against the club and its employees are completely false.
“Ultimately, like many of these lawsuits filed solely for media attention, the true facts will come to trial,” he added.
The lawsuit states that Greenstreet was fired “in retaliation for her protected activity of complaining about sexual harassment and similar illegal activities.”
It also labeled the “best strip club in town” as a “prostitution ring” that is still active even after being exposed by police years ago.
The lawsuit includes an NYPD officer's 2014 affidavit in which he called Sapphire a known bastion for prostitution and detailed how he had conducted several undercover stings at the Manhattan location, each time offering sex for money.
The city sued Sapphire for causing a public nuisance in 2014, which led to a court order to stop, according to the filing.
“In direct violation of that court order,” the lawsuit states, “Sapphire continued her prostitution ring, which resulted in the entire work environment at Sapphire being dominated by prostitution and exploitation, and led to Greenstreet's immediate supervisor continually sexually assaulting her harassed.'
The new lawsuit points out that the club was also previously sued by the City of New York in 2014 for causing a public nuisance, which led to a court order to halt operations.
Greenstreet claims her manager Desmond Finger would order her to deliver drinks to private rooms, where 'she witnessed Sapphire dancers having sex with customers'
In a similar allegation by the dancers in their lawsuit, Greenstreet said she was subjected to retaliation resulting in lost wages and harassment when she complained about the work environment and sexual harassment.
Greenstreet seeks relief under the state and New York City human rights laws and the state whistleblower law.
As a part-time nanny, she took the bartending job at Sapphire's East 60th Street location to supplement her income.
The lawsuit includes a series of allegations against her “immediate supervisor,” Finger, alleging that he made “constant and derogatory comments” about her physical appearance.
“Finger continually made comments about Greenstreet's dress and body (at least twice a week), including relentless comments about her breasts and how he admired them,” the suit alleges.
“Finger also continually made sexual comments in Greenstreet's presence about his last name and how he was skilled” in using it against women.
Finger had “multiple sexual relationships” with female employees, the complaint alleges.
When they “went sour, he had those employees fired or transferred to other Sapphire locations,” the complaint adds.
For those who wanted to engage with him, he would provide “preferential treatment,” as he allegedly did with a fellow bartender whose performance was rated “superior,” the complaint alleges.
The lawsuit alleges that the other bartender would drive Finger home and sleep with him.
In return, Finger had her money “stealed” from the cash register, overcharging customers and hoarding alcohol sales by ripping customers' credit cards out of Greenstreet's hands.
When Greenstreet complained, Finger told her she could quit, the lawsuit said.
The club, with its velvet walls, bottle service and pounding music, has several locations in New York City and a location in Las Vegas
“Let me talk slowly so you understand,” Finger allegedly told her. “You can go home if you want.”
Finger also allegedly instructed her to deliver drinks to private rooms, where “she witnessed Sapphire dancers having sex with customers,” according to the lawsuit.
“She often observed dancers straddling male clients while these clients were either completely nude or naked below the waist,” the court papers allege.
'It was clear they were having sex. It is also clear that such prostitution in these private rooms (at all Sapphires locations) is common as employees often talk about it.”
The club's sordid history is well documented.
Last February, a $25 million lawsuit was filed against Sapphire for a “toxic” work environment where dancers were allegedly asked to perform oral sex for money while the club “turned a blind eye.”
Two former dancers, Margaret O'Sullivan and Stephanie Krauel, compared their bosses to brothel managers who ignored assaults, illegal drug use and underage drinking.
When dancers complained, they were subjected to retaliation that resulted in lost wages, up to $2,000 per night, and harassment, the complaint alleges.
Peter Feinstein, a former managing partner named as a defendant in that lawsuit, reportedly described Sapphire as a place where a man “can escape and get away for a few hours, and then go back home and be a father and a good friend'. husband.'
Greenstreet cites the 2023 lawsuit extensively in her own filing, noting that the two former dancers filed an initial complaint in 2022.
Her lawsuit also includes excerpts from her complaint to Sapphire's human resources department in November, when she wrote, “I shouldn't have to exploit myself at work to have equal respect.”
“Greenstreet was incredibly traumatized by the sexual harassment and retaliatory discharge described above, and has lost significant income as she remains unemployed,” the lawsuit states, claiming she is entitled to unspecified compensatory damages for “emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of her work'. to live.'