Proposed New Massage Business May Have Ties to Illegal Activities

by Meg Yergin and Cindy Goldstein -

A proposed new massage business in a residential district at 397 Palmer Avenue was back in front of the Zoning Board of Appeals on January 8, 2026 for a Special Use Permit.  The ZBA voted to re-open the public hearing at its meeting on Nov. 9, 2025, in response to receiving a communication from Village of Mamaroneck Police Chief PJ Trujillo.

Multiple local massage establishments have been closed recently by the Village Police and Building Departments due to illegal activities including prostitution.  See HERE.

Police Chief’s Concerns

On September 10, 2025, Trujillo sent an email to inform the ZBA that “the last massage parlor that was located at 397 Palmer Avenue was closed on September 19, 2024 by the police and building departments after four women were arrested for being unlicensed massage therapists, offering sexual services for fees, and various building code violations.”  See HERE.

He followed up this original email with another to the ZBA on December 4, 2025, in which he outlined his concerns regarding the current application.

“In the last five years, the Village of Mamaroneck Police Department has closed (8) massage establishments within the Village and has assisted the Village of Larchmont with closing down (3) more.  Each of these locations were closed for violating local Village codes and engaging in prostitution.  It is well known that many of these massage establishments engage in human trafficking and the exploitation of a person for labor, services, and commercial sex.”  [Emphasis added.]  See HERE.

Village of Mamaroneck Chief of Police PJ Trujillo at the ZBA Meeting on Jan. 8, 2026

Possible Ties to Sex Trafficking in Other States

At the meeting, the individual identified as the owner/manager of the new spa, Taizhen Ren, told the ZBA through a translator that the business would employ two licensed massage therapists.  NYS Massage Therapist Licenses for these two individuals were submitted in the Special Permit application to the Village.

One of those licenses was granted to an individual who shares the same name and lives in the same Queens, NY neighborhood as a woman who was charged with felonies in Michigan and Ohio in 2024 regarding what Michigan officials called “the largest human trafficking rings ever uncovered in the state.”  See HERE.

Regarding that Michigan sting operation, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in December 2024: 

“This is not a victimless crime. It’s very much a crime that involves people who are victims of some of the most horrendous behavior you can imagine…These are folks that are kept in these buildings. They’re not allowed to leave. This is their entire life and it’s a terrible way to live.” 

NOTE: The Mamaroneck Observer is unable to confirm a connection between the individual apprehended in connection with the Michigan/Ohio stings and the individual whose NYS Massage Therapist License was included with the Special Permit Application. 

Possible Tie to An Illegal Local Business

The individual named on the NYS Massage Therapist License referenced above was originally included on the lease agreement for 397 Palmer Avenue as the tenant.  But her name has been crossed off - although it remains legible - and replaced with Ren’s. 

Ren provided a letter for the Special Use Permit application with the name “Sesame 1 Inc.” on the letterhead.   Ren explained to the ZBA through his translator that Sesame 1 Inc. is the legal entity that will own the new business and he will be the manager.

An online search shows that Ren filed “Sesame 1 Inc.” as a NYS Corporation on January 29, 2024, with the filing address at 437 Ward Avenue.  See HERE.  As previously reported (see HERE) 437 Ward Avenue is the current location of a massage business called “Cozy Spa” that frequently shows up in online review sites for illicit massage businesses such as “AMP Reviews”.  Illicit Massage Business (IMB) reviews include explicit details describing the shape and size of the body parts of the women providing services, a description of the illicit services they are willing to perform, whether the person conducting the massage will take off their clothes, satisfaction rating of services provided, and the additional price of those services.  

Sign for Cozy Spa on Second Floor at 437 Ward Avenue

Even though it appears to be operating without a Special Permit, Cozy Spa regularly posts ads on Google, including one on January 6, 2026.  The location was previously the site of Tranquil Spa, which had received a Special Permit to operate in this space in 2019 and was one of the massage businesses closed in the last few years by the police.

At the ZBA meeting, Ren first indicated through his interpreter that he knew nothing about the Ward Avenue address.  He then said that he had a previous plan to open a business at that location, but it didn’t go through and he never signed the lease.  He said he has no connection to the current operation at 437 Ward Avenue, nor has he ever operated a massage business in New York State.  He also said he previously owned a massage business in New Jersey that he sold last year.

Adding to the confusion regarding Ren, he describes his role on the application to the ZBA as “Uber”.  See HERE.

Special Use Permits

Uses that require special permits under the Code are not considered “as-of-right” because they are subject to certain conditions.  However, once an applicant demonstrates compliance with those Code conditions, the ZBA must grant the permit.

The Code includes a long list of required conditions for massage establishments including that all massage therapists be licensed by NYS.  In addition, the massage therapists must provide their fingerprints, Social Security numbers and home addresses to the police.  A copy of this information is to be maintained by the Village Clerk.  See HERE.

Next Steps

At the meeting, when asked by the ZBA what conditions he would like to see applied to massage establishments in the Village, Trujillo said he would like the Police Department to receive notification any time a massage business plans to open.   He also would like his department to conduct a final inspection before a Special Use Permit is issued and the business be required to renew its Special Use Permit every year.

At the meeting ZBA Member Gretta Heaney asked the applicant to provide additional photos of the interior space.   The public hearing was adjourned.  The next meeting of the ZBA is scheduled for February 5, 2026.   The agenda for that meeting is not yet available.