Gossip strip club calls citations ‘administrative,’ notes no sex charges filed

Management says Friday’s inspection produced only signage violations and unlicensed bar citations — not criminal allegations

Management at Gossip Night Club is pushing back against implications that Friday night’s multi-agency inspection turned up evidence of sexual misconduct, insisting the violations were purely administrative.

In a statement provided to Greater Long Island, a Gossip spokesperson said the club received no charges or summonses related to prostitution, sex trafficking or unlawful sexual conduct during the inspection that included Suffolk County Police’s Human Trafficking Unit.

“To be clear, the summonses issued were administrative SLA-related violations and not criminal allegations involving sexual activity or trafficking,” the spokesperson said.

Suffolk Police said earlier that five ABC law violations were issued, to owner Brian Rosenberg, 61, of Garden City, but did not detail the individual violations.

The spokesperson said management “fully cooperated with investigators and the State Liquor Authority,” immediately producing all requested documents, including invoices, records and operational paperwork.

“We were told our operation was among the more organized and professionally maintained establishments inspected,” the statement said.

The club urged that “accuracy and context are critically important” and said the public “deserves the full facts and context surrounding this matter and not speculation that unfairly damages the reputation of our business, employees, and patrons.”

Second Precinct Crime Section officers conducted the SLA inspection in response to a community complaint, police said. The inspection also included participation from the New York State Liquor Authority, Town of Huntington Fire Marshal and Town of Huntington Ordinance Inspector.

The Town of Huntington Fire Marshal issued seven Fire Code violations to the establishment, according to the release.

The SLA observed several violations and will be conducting a further investigation into the establishment, police said.

Rosenberg is scheduled to appear at Suffolk First District Court in Central Islip on May 29.

DeMaria’s 47-page complaint alleges that Gossip operated a sex trafficking scheme where management “sold off the very safety they had already charged the dancers to provide.”

Filed in New York State Supreme Court, the lawsuit names Rosenberg as a defendant and includes allegations of soundproofed VIP rooms locked from the outside, managers acting as procurement agents for wealthy clients and a systematic campaign to get dancers drunk and compliant.

_{Top: photo by Eric Micallef}