Pretty Tacky Prostitution Ring

In court papers, law enforcement officials describe the Emperors Club, the house of prostitution through which New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer booked his fateful night with "Kristen," as a classy outfit. This wasn't a place to find just any hooker.

No, at the Emperors Club you would meet a sophisticated female companion, someone with poise, grace and discernment, as well as a habit of traipsing around in next to nothing.

But to look at the ring's Web site, the Emperors Club seems only slightly classier than your run-of-the-mill corner operation.

The site, which is now offline but has been unearthed through the indispensable Internet Archive by the quick-thinking folks over at Digital Alchemy [see below], certainly sets out to look like a high-class affair.

But it has a strong whiff of spam and scam to it -- misspellings, big words used incorrectly, sentence structure that would set off SpamAssassin's least sensitive filters. And there's this gambit:

The Emperors Club offers big-money males not only women but also "contemporary art" and "investment services." It's your one-stop shop for refinement!

Here's a bit from the site's Welcome page:

Best of all, our innovative social introduction / dating services allow you a luxuriously enjoyable dating / travel experience with some of the wolrd's (sic) most exclusive companions.

We match our customers with the most compatible models, most competitive contemporary art leads, and finest concierge luxuries for both their personal preferences and the occasion. Our services are professional, reliable and luxuriously pleasurable.

Much of the site's action takes place at its portfolio pages, where body shots of its many models are laid out meat-market style, with each lady rated on scale of three to seven animated flashing diamonds (though the animation is so poor they look more like cubic zirconia).

As the Emperors Club rate page explains, diamonds are awarded "according to individual education, sophistication, and ambiance created by each of our models." (The models create their own ambience!)

Obviously, you'll pay more for more diamonds: Prices range from as low as $1,000 per hour for a three-diamond lady to $3,100 per hour for seven diamonds. Full-day rates -- "dawn-to-dawn" -- are also available. Want a seven-diamond woman for a whole day? That'll cost you $31,000.

For international guests, prices are outlined in euros and pounds sterling; the site accepts credit cards, cashiers' checks and "most foreign currencies," and -- best of all! -- it offers gift certificates. (Hey, maybe Spitz was just buying something nice for a friend? Maybe a certain former president ...?)

Alas, Kristen, the "American, petite, very pretty brunette" that court papers say rendezvoused with Spitzer, is not listed on the site. But the governor is alleged to have paid less than $5,000 for four hours' time, which would indicate that Kristen rated three or four stars.

Should you be in the mood for something more refined, check out seven-flashing-diamond Maya, whose slightly NSFW page raves of her "sex appeal, style and grace."

Maya, who is now based in Los Angeles, "has conquered the fashion and entertainment industry while achieving stardom status around the World with her incomparable look and electrifying presence," the site says.

One more thing: The Emperors Club marketed itself as "a positive force, intensely committed to serving our customers honestly. Our goal is to make life more peaceful, balanced, beautiful and meaningful."

Considering that this did not happen for Spitz -- peaceful? balanced? -- he'd seem to have good cause to ask for his money back.

Emperor's Club VIP Picture Tour

Eliot Spitzer, Governor of New York, has been caught in the middle of an FBI investigation into a prostitution ring called the Emperor's Club VIP, which had operations in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Miami.

The New York Times says:

The man described as Client 9 in the affidavit arranged to meet with a prostitute who was part of the ring, Emperors Club VIP, on the night of Feb. 13. Mr. Spitzer traveled to Washington that evening, according to a person told of his travel arrangements.

The affidavit says that Client 9 met with the woman in hotel room 871 but does not identify the hotel. Mr. Spitzer stayed at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on Feb. 13, according to a source who was told of his travel arrangements. Room 871 at the Mayflower Hotel that evening was registered under the name George Fox.

Here's what the Club's now-defunct website (archive) had to say for themselves (complete with misspellings):

Emperors’ Club vip is the most preferred international club for those accustomed to excellence. We offer a convenient variety of services globally. Specializing in deluxe concierge, model introduction,  contemporary art  and Investment services is our expertise. We act for a select group of educated, refined and successful international clients who give their best in all they do and who, in return, only wish to receive the best. Catering to clients who will not compromise in any area of their life.

Our distinctive standards ensure that you always experience the quality you’ve come to expect in a world-class service when working with Emperors’ Club vip.  With direct connection to internationally acclaimed artists, we offer access to some of the most captivating, authentic contemporary art available. Our Concierge service provides extraordinary benefits that enhance life immeasurably, impress companions and enhance business ventures. Best of all, our innovative social introduction / dating services allow you a luxuriously enjoyable dating / travel experience with some of the wolrd's most exclusive companions. We match our customers with the most compatible models, most competitive contemporary art leads, and finest concierge luxuries for both their personal preferences and the occasion. Our services are professional, reliable and luxuriously pleasurable.

Nothing But the Best for the Governor?

According to the affidavit, "Kristen", Spitzer's appointment at the $229-a-night Mayflower Hotel, was "an American, petite, very pretty brunette, 5 feet 5 inches, and 105 pounds."

Spitzer's encounter with "Kristen" cost $4300, but depending on the number of diamonds assigned to a model, the cost could rise quite considerably. This rate page shows that a 3 diamond model's time went for $1000 an hour up to $3100 for a 7 diamond model.

Spitzer scheduled a four hour "appointment" so we can deduce that "Kristen" was a 3 diamond model priced at about $1000 an hour plus "extras". Of course, it's always possible he got a customer loyalty discount.

Emperor's Club VIP Picture Tour

Emperor's Club VIP Homepage:

They even had handy phone numbers listed:

(US) 212. 812. 2114 // 310. 691. 5163 // (UK) 0207. 096. 0879

Here's the portfolio page with about 32 models listed (notice the number of diamonds below each picture):

Fiona, a graduate of top London university, who's guiltiest indulgence is the opera:

Los Angeles-based Maya Kate aka "Katie"  with an impressive 7 diamonds, which we speculate is Cecil Kuwal, the madam running the operation.

London-based Maureen (or is it Marina?):

Sadly, it doesn't look like "Kristen" is listed among the models.

tags: prostitution  hooker  sex  spitzer  

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