Hundreds of thousands of people have been spotted aimlessly wandering the streets of New Orleans after police raided and temporarily closed Visions Men’s Club, one of the city’s most titillating strip clubs and hangout of every single local. With no timetable set for the club’s reopening, locals find themselves drifting along and unsure of where to go for the first time in 24 years.
Kenner resident Roger Sanchez, who appeared in a haze as he was walking along Tulane Avenue, couldn’t believe the news.
Kenner resident Roger Sanchez, pictured, says he doesn’t know what to do since the place where locals go is no longer a place where locals can go.
“I’m angry, I’m frustrated, I’m mad, and, now, I have absolutely no clue where I’m going to get my vision checked,” Sanchez said, admitting he is now depressed and no longer has any direction in life. “What am I supposed to do? Where am I supposed to go? Visions is where the locals go, and now we can’t. It’s like if the Saints announced they were folding the franchise and not playing this season. I’m totally lost.”
Authorities raided the New Orleans East strip club on Friday, August 24, after dozens of undercover law enforcement officials got lucky and discovered prostitution and drug activity, the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control said in a statement.
The raids, conducted with the ATC, New Orleans Police Department, Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Central Intelligence Agency, New Orleans Fire Department, New Orleans City Hall, U.S. Marshal’s Taskforce, St. Larynx Elementary School Men’s Club, Sunny Acres Senior Home Silver Foxes Club, and David Vitter, came after “a long, hard undercover investigation that spanned one year and 2,587 visits, which found criminal activity including drug sales, drug use, solicitation for prostitution and sex acts.”
It is not clear when the New Orleans East club will reopen, though Visions is entitled to a hearing to lift the suspensions.
“It’s going to be very disruptive for locals, but people should take heart in the fact that we are going to fight tittie and nail to have the suspension completely stripped away,” Visions owner Frank Mooney said.