FDNY unearths dungeon casino, sketchy bedrooms under massage parlor during illegal battery inspection

The FDNY uncovered a basement labyrinth filled with slot machines, bootleg merchandise and sketchy cubbies with mattresses underneath two Manhattan buildings that house a massage parlor, officials said.

FDNY Fire Protection Inspectors were investigating a complaint about unlawful charging of hazardous lithium ion batteries inside the connected buildings on Elizabeth Street near Grand Street around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday when they found the batteries — and lots of other illicit items, the department said. 

An area of the basement was converted into a gambling den packed with 17 slot machines, and a storage space held an assortment of counterfeit designer bags and accessories, according to officials.

The front and rear cellars of both buildings were converted into illegal sleeping areas, while “mazelike” cellar hallways were converted into single-room occupancy units crowded with mattresses, clutter, hot plates and space heaters connected with extension cords, according to the FDNY.

None of the rooms had secondary exits, contributing to the “severe life risks” in the sleeping spaces, the department said.

“118 and 120 Elizabeth Street was a death trap waiting to happen,” FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said in a statement.

“Illegal, uncertified lithium-ion batteries, illegally converted apartments with no way to get out, and poor electrical practices made these locations extremely dangerous.”

Lithium-ion batteries – which have accounted for multiple fires, some fatal, across the city in recent years – were also found charging throughout the space, the department said. 

A photo posted on Instagram by the FDNY shows the slot machines lined up against a wall in a narrow hallway. 

Other photos show multiple plastic bags stuffed with clutter, mattresses packed into cramped rooms, counterfeit Prada products and the hazardous batteries plugged in next to each other.

The NYPD’s Vice Squad confiscated the gambling equipment and counterfeit items, while the city’s Department of Buildings issued a partial vacate order for the cellar spaces in both buildings, officials said.

Two FDNY summonses and two criminal summonses were issued, but no arrests were made, authorities said.

A massage parlor operates on the ground floor of the property but there were sleeping rooms found there, sources said. 

“Thanks to the amazing work of our Fire Protection Inspectors, and our partner agencies, the DOB and the NYPD, we were able to prevent a catastrophe before it happened,” Tucker said.