Madam: Julie Moya & NYC’s Most Famous Brothel
Dive into the life of Julie Moya and take a peek behind the velvet curtain of ”Julie’s of NYC,” the legendary and notorious brothel.
Julie reveals the secrets, scandals, and sensational moments that shaped her world in candid conversations with writer/filmmaker Em Vaughn. From her life-threatening encounters with organized crime, to her inspiring efforts to rescue mistreated animals, to her arrest becoming a media circus, to some jaw-dropping stories about her customers and their requests, Julie spills all the juicy details in her own words.
An unfiltered conversation between two generations of sex workers. ”Madam” is a podcast you cannot miss.
Madam: Julie Moya & NYC’s Most Famous Brothel
Julie’s Arrest: Political Prosecution and Prison Life
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You won’t believe the twists and turns in Julie Moya’s life, especially when it comes to her uncanny, 13-year cycle of arrests in 2005 and 2018. With insights from the Em Vaughn, Julie walks us through the gripping details: being besieged by the FBI, a frantic warning from her son, and a friend’s ill-fated attempt to retrieve a crucial laptop. Facing a staggering 57-count indictment, she shares the legal battles of someone deeply entrenched in the brothel business. We dive into the personal and financial wreckage left in the wake of these trials, the emotional strain on family members, and the clever maneuvers employed to dodge undercover cops.
Finally, we discuss the gritty world of incarceration, from the notorious Rikers Island to the more pastoral Beacon Correctional Facility. Julie shares her paradoxical experiences of finding moments of ‘fun’ amidst the chaos—contraband smuggling and all—while also facing dehumanizing searches and rough treatment from correctional officers. This is a candid reflection on maintaining humanity within the harsh confines of the prison system, and the small victories that keep the spirit alive.
But you know it was all over a judge that was coming to my place. He's a Supreme Court judge and he was with an underage girl that had been hired there, which I did not know. She was underage.
Speaker 2:You're listening to Madam, a podcast about Julie Moya and New York City's most famous brothel. Hi everyone and welcome to the latest episode of Madam the podcast. My name is Ben Skye and sitting across from me, as always, is the divine Ms Em Vaughn.
Speaker 3:Hey y'all.
Speaker 2:So, again, it's been a little bit since our last episode came out, but we've been putting together something special. So, em, what are we going to be talking about in this episode of Madam?
Speaker 3:Today, our episode is going to focus on Julie's arrest. She's had three arrests so far one in 92, one in 2005, and then one in 2018.
Speaker 2:Now listeners can hear about that first arrest in 92 in episode three of our podcast, where we talk about Julie's life prior to running her own brothel.
Speaker 3:But the other two arrests is what we're going to be talking about today.
Speaker 2:So in a previous episode we talked about how the police and Julie sort of formed a pseudo alliance.
Speaker 3:Previously they had had immunity.
Speaker 2:Because Julie helped the cops catch some bad guys who were robbing businesses posing as police. But something changed and the cops, for some reason or another, turned on her in 2005.
Speaker 3:She had talked about her time in Rikers. When she was talking about her time in Rikers, they were about 13 years apart from each other and they were really completely different experiences for her.
Speaker 2:How the prison had changed over time, so let's, without further ado, go to the conversation with Julie and Em.
Speaker 1:I was 92 when I was arrested for the three kilos and I only had one kilo on me, but you know it was conspiracy for three, right? I came back from Argentina and I knew the Colombians, so I was trying to impress these people like, oh, I could get three kilos, sure Little did I have any idea that they were setting me up.
Speaker 3:But so your second arrest was in 2005?.
Speaker 1:Five and then the next one was 2018. 2018. Okay, every 13 years, I noticed when I counted. I didn't realize it and I looked at it and said wait a minute, this is every 13 years, from 92, it's 2005, 2018.
Speaker 3:Whoa.
Speaker 1:Isn't that weird?
Speaker 3:That's very weird.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:What do you think that's about? I don't know. Do you feel like you can talk about that? What happened in 2005?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I was just having lunch, you know, and the San Juan Hotel was on Ninth Avenue and just relaxing me and my son, my maid. We were just sitting there having lunch and all of a sudden I started calling my house didn't answer, the places didn't answer, and it was like I can't explain what came on to me. It was a horrible feeling. And then I put my coat on with the maid and we walked over to 49th Street and we seen the FBI, the police, you know, like running in and out, and I walked right by them and it was so cold that day and I was like oh my God. And then my son was going on his way to work and you know he had left, and I was like, oh my God. And then my son was going on his way to work, and you know he had left, and I called him. I said, jerry, you know we're having a problem.
Speaker 1:I think something happened. He went to get my Escalade out of the garage and the garage guy looked at him like don't, don't do it, you know, because they were there, I mean, but so many people in jail, even a couple of customers, I think one of them was an attorney that negotiated for hostages and stuff. Another one too is that a guy that worked in one of those stores phone stores we were getting apartments. He would give us good credit people and get apartments. Our friend got apartments like that from him but he was a terrorist and we didn't know that, right, yeah, and he got arrested with my laptop, um, and when they found out who he was and he was involved you know the world trade center stuff and all that you know, yes, go ahead.
Speaker 1:But I didn't know who that guy was. He was just a nice guy that I knew. I had no idea that he was mixed up in that.
Speaker 3:He was helping you get, he was selling us credit. Credit.
Speaker 1:ID people. They would ID to go to my phones. They used to run your credit when you went in and all that. Who knew? Yeah, absolutely, you meet people, you talk. He actually ended up doing security a couple of times. That's how he got my laptop. Matter of fact, my friend went to the precinct to try to get a laptop back in Mignola and ended up getting arrested. And my friend was Indian, so they thought that he was like they had an orange alert. They used the orange alert so they didn't have to do a conventional search or some kind of search that they do, so they were allowed to just go through his car and search it and everything.
Speaker 3:Oh, wow.
Speaker 1:It was crazy, that is crazy. Well, they didn't catch me. I finally turned myself in. I ran I'm a runner, but not anymore. I went to a hotel and was so devastated I went to the bank and grabbed out thousands of dollars, I think like 30,000.
Speaker 1:I grabbed out of the banks and I was just so upset I didn't know what to do. I was like, oh my God, what am I going to do? And we just kind of floated a little bit to hotels and stuff and I called my mom and she's like turn yourself in. They've got some big sort of warrant for you where they could shoot you and stuff, you know. And I was like you know, she was some kind of warrant in hand, I don't know. And I said you're kidding me. She goes. No, please turn yourself in, you know. And then they thought I was going to commit suicide. I was like I'mks the cops who was telling my mother talk to your daughter. Because my mom came right up as soon as it happened. She was staying at my house in Freeport for a couple days to get things and try to get things together and stuff.
Speaker 3:The cops were trying to guilt her, pressure her. She wouldn't give me up?
Speaker 1:She would not. She knew what I was too. She would not.
Speaker 3:But to put pressure on you to turn yourself in instead of her giving you up. She wouldn't do?
Speaker 1:They told her I think she's going to commit suicide because now she's lost everything All of a sudden. She had a lot of money, she had everything. Now she's all gone and I was thinking to myself I wouldn't commit suicide. That's crazy.
Speaker 3:They're just like manipulating your mom, yeah.
Speaker 1:But she couldn't be manipulated. Yeah, crazy, they're just like manipulating your mom. Yeah, but she couldn't be manipulated. Yeah, absolutely yeah. So I waited like maybe five or six days and finally I felt bad because they were holding people, security and stuff like that. They made it seem like they were holding until I turned myself in.
Speaker 1:So, I decided the hell with it. I'll just turn myself in. But you know it was all over a judge that was coming to my place. He's a Supreme Court judge and he was with an underage girl that had been hired there, which I did not know she was underage. We never hired underage girls and we always ID'd them. This girl had her sister's ID because she was a runaway. I didn't realize. She told me their mother threw her out and she was of age. Blah, blah, blah. My friend brought her to me and in the papers they said a pimp. It was not a pimp, it was a kid named Eddie. You know he was her boyfriend. So it was like oh my God. And she had been pregnant. She had an abortion, you know. She came to me. She told her mother that she had been kidnapped. So her mother called the FBI. Oh wow.
Speaker 1:So immediately, you know, everything started going crazy and the only reason I didn't run out to judge that had sex with a 16-year-old because I was like I seen how nasty this prosecutor was. His name was Shure was his name. What a jerk off. They said it would bring me to the queen's chair, right, you know that's what they call it when they want you to write. Yeah, and he was like you know, right now you're the highest on the totem pole. If you give up the judge and we know you have a judge then we'll make a deal for you and blah, blah, blah. You know what I'm saying Get out without like maybe a year or two at the most. And I was thinking I was like hell, no, I wouldn't do that to that judge. And I told him I'm not going to do that because the way you portrayed me imagine a judge he's got a family. He didn't know the girl was underage, he had no idea. Yeah, so I would not. I wouldn't give him his name.
Speaker 1:The judge helped us in court one time. He helped my son in court with some bullshit. Was this before or after? Way before I think it was before he was on the Supreme Court Way before he helped us with something. He came many, many years. I thought about all that and I was like I'm not going to do this to this man. They were so pissed off at me about not giving that judge up. Yeah, he even threatened to go to Ohio and pick my son, tommy up, you know, who had worked for me in the past as security. And then the charges sort of just dropped. I had 57 count indictment and it all just dropped down to promoting you know, because it was the truth.
Speaker 1:It was. They couldn't you know. Even in court they made it. They said we're going to give you this much and do this. But if you happen to say again in there that you didn't have a vergence or that you're we will, we'll stop it, but that you didn't have aversion or that you're we will stop it. But I did it anyway. Yeah, in the sentencing it was in the paper that I yelled and said there were no Russian versions. All that you know was lies.
Speaker 3:Yeah yeah, you were denying the trafficking charges. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:I said Julie's American is apple pie, Just a good brothel with great business and we had really great business.
Speaker 3:We were just a good brothel with great business and we had really great business. We were known everywhere, right, but there, you know, unfortunately, like with the underage girls, and of course it wasn't intentional, but you know it didn't happen, yeah, but it was real, it was real, yeah. So I mean, and that was bad, yeah um, yeah, that was really bad hey y'all, this is mv.
Speaker 3:I'm excited to make this announcement For our Patreon subscribers we are giving away a print of Julie's artwork. As you know, julie has spent her life drawing, so we thought we could show our appreciation to our Patreon subscribers by sending you some of Julie's artwork Once you have subscribed. We will reach out and get shipping information from you so we know where to send the print. Um, I would love to get your support on patreon. We are currently not sponsored or funded by any platform. Ben and I are self-funding this, this very diy project about sex work history. So if you would like to support sex workers and you like this content, please subscribe to our patreon. And that's patreoncom slash madamepod. Now back to the show.
Speaker 1:Oh, and the bleaker arrest. Oh my God, that was the worst, because and I lose my animals every time. So I'm not going to have animals anymore, because what I stand for with animals happens to my animals, like twice, three times. So that's it for me In 2018, I'm raising my grandson. I'm sitting at home. I don't even go to the place hardly. I'm bleaker Only Saturday nights to party or hang out or whatever I get after hours. Right. I'm sitting at home with my grandson in the summer and they come to the door with a search warrant, guns drawn, almost shot my dog. It was just a bad situation. It really caused my grandson to have problems. After that, he got sent down to Missouri, where it was a really bad situation for him. I literally almost wanted to die that day because of that little boy. You know what I mean. I was like, oh my, my god, I just couldn't believe it happened again what were the accounts that they arrested you on?
Speaker 1:it was just promoting prostitution and uh, and it was a d felony. But they were hell-bent because I've been arrested before, so I can just whatever little thing I get can be made into something you know more.
Speaker 3:And, like in the 2005 thing, you had kind of like a buildup. Then the 2018 thing. Do you know what?
Speaker 1:I don't know what the hell that was from. I still you know it was something that they were told that wasn't real too, because the man who got me on him was trying to get me on a bill. They didn't let him. It was Tom, my friend, and somebody had told that had called the FBI and said that my money was going through his family's investment company. So you know, someone really called, made lots of calls and started a big investigation and you know what they did. They didn't get any arrests. They could not get in there because we have a check at the door that you could not get in. If you're a cop you're not coming past the threshold. You know, when a guy came in he had to pull his cock out and the girl kissed it.
Speaker 3:So you just they come in and you're like cocks out.
Speaker 1:They're like hey, we have a special handshake for you, right? And if he would not do it and cops would not do that, they would not let you touch them. They would not do it and cops would not do that. They will not let you touch them. They will not let their penis come out. It's totally against the law. So that is a they even said in one of the papers that I was reading they had an impenetrable technique. You can't get through that. So what they did? They got phone towers, text messages and all that instead. And if I would have had a good lawyer, I would have beat all that stuff, but I didn't, and I just kind of just sat in jail for over a year before I went upstate. They didn't arrest anybody, only me, that was it.
Speaker 3:Something that I didn't realize is that when you're, when you're arrested, they take your assets. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so you had homes, you had properties.
Speaker 1:Yeah they always do everything, but in 2018, I didn't have any property. You know I did not. I made sure I did not and made sure I didn't have much money here. And you know it was different this time. I learned, but at the same time, you know, it was like shocking that it happened. And you know something funny that happened before that the day before, I seen these cops up the street and they were walking around. I'm like what's going on? Oh, there was a robbery. You don't have cameras in front of your house, do you? They said, because we're trying to see if maybe you caught something on film. And I'm like, oh my God, and that hit me too. On bill, and I'm like, oh my god, and that hit me too. There was no robbery. They were trying to make sure I didn't have cameras when they came.
Speaker 2:You're listening to, madam, a podcast about julie moya and new york city's most famous brothel. For show notes, links and more about the show, visit us on the web at madampodcom that's m-a-d-a-m-p-o-d com. If you like what you hear and you want to support the show, you can subscribe to our Patreon at patreoncom. Slash madampod. Our patrons will have access to bonus content and will get a shout out on a future episode. And now back to the show.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when I was in Rikers I met a lot of people that I knew in there Strange, yeah how was going to Rikers that time, was it, or I guess?
Speaker 1:more upstate Second time. Oh God, it was real different Because Rikers before was more open. You know a lot of stuff went on. Sex was going on there with the COs and everything. You know COs would come and um, bring things for the girls if you had sex with them, stuff like that. So I had sex with you know a couple of them for the girls, cigarettes and stuff like that and it was terrible and I was a lookout and you know they were like oh, watch out for us. You know, while we fuck the girls and girls, I mean the girls are down with it, but it's still considered rape. I found out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no matter what, even if you were not forced.
Speaker 1:It's still considered rape. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because there's obviously a huge power dynamic at play.
Speaker 1:Yeah, as a matter of fact, I'm in on this lawsuit for women that were abused in jail In 2018, they'd kind of Things are real different.
Speaker 1:They have cameras everywhere now and, oh, you can't wear your street clothes anymore, uniforms it was just very, very different, very different. Rikers Island actually was fun in 2005 at some point. You know if you said are fun, you know, just like the sags and all the craziness and you know the partying when nobody knew you know, knew, you know drugs and everything. Seals would bring stuff in. It was just, you know, a lot of fun. Like we would get together and just throw, throw crazy. I mean just bang on the bar, just crazy stuff, just really silly stuff that we would do just to let our you know, inhibitions out and stuff like that. Or all the girls would take all their clothes off while a cock on the block, a man on the block, was walking down just on purpose. You know what I mean? Just crazy shit like that. That was fun. Or bringing alcohol Somebody would bring alcohol or drugs or even food. They would sneak food in and stuff like that to us and, of course, you'd have sex with food and girls would, because all you get is the same horrible stuff every day.
Speaker 1:So anything it's like when you're in here. It's like anything. You can't go to buy a soda at the store. You can't just decide you want to pick up your cell phone. It's like you're just blocked off from everywhere. You have no freedom, none, and you're treated like really bad. I mean, you're sleeping in your cell and all of a sudden you'll come in and in the middle of the night and they just like, okay, get up against the wall. And then they, you know, take all your clothes off, they check you and then you stand outside with your stuff. You know, they put your stuff back on, stand outside with your mattress and they tear everything in the cell apart. They would just do it on like random, every couple nights. The lights would go on and here they come and they were nasty and rude and, you know, forceful and just horrible. Even in 2018 they were. They do those searches and all that Stuff you have. You don't have a lot, but little stuff. That means anything. They'll throw it out.
Speaker 1:Rip it up Stuff like that, they should do away with jails. I mean, if it's something horrible crime, you know little things that people are in there for is shocking.
Speaker 3:And it's like the other thing is maybe a belief that some people have that, oh, we're trying to reform them in jail or like give them some sort of education. But no that's not what's going on.
Speaker 1:The only ones that can really get the reform are the ones that are lifers and stuff. When you get up to Bedford Hills they get college and stuff like that. But if you're not there for many years. You're not going to happen.
Speaker 3:That's very frustrating, because how are you? That's the thing is like your body is confined. So what do you do with your mind? The human mind goes crazy in that situation.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's just a lot of time that's empty, you know, and the days seem really long. It's weird because the first thing you start to go over is why am I here, you know. Then you start to look at Rikers Island. It's almost like we ran our place, you know. You had the managers, you know. It was weird, you know, just looking at things like in all different ways.
Speaker 1:Then, for Marker's Island, I went to Bedford Hills. Then I went to another one, beacon, and I was working with cows. That was the best, most happiest time in jail, really. Yeah, I worked on the farm in Beacon where they bring the baby calves in the bulls that they usually kill. They would bring them in and we'd feed them. You know, they had little huts and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:I felt sorry for them really, on chains and stuff. But you try to make their life like you know, feed them and stuff. And then the worst part of it was I was burning their horns. I was like, oh God, and you know putting those damn rubber bands around their balls. You know, god, and you know putting those damn rubber bands around their balls.
Speaker 1:You know, I've hated to see that, that, but at least they lived, you know, and the other prisoners. That's the only time I almost got into like physical things because you know I wanted their huts to be really, you know, taken out and stuff like that. You know this old hay and stuff like that. And they were like, fuck that, this is jail, fuck those cows. And I was like, know, I was like, because I love animals, you know they were real mean to them and I was like not having it. You know what I mean. So they hated me because, like this is jail. You know what the fuck do you care for? And I was like, well, maybe they're only going to live 20 after that, but still, you know, yeah, to give them a chance. But it was nice working with it. I've never been on a farm like that in my life.
Speaker 1:It was a real nice experience.
Speaker 3:How long did you do that? Do you remember About a year?
Speaker 1:You didn't get paid for it, it was just they pay you like 24 cents an hour upstate. It's like nothing, there's no money out, but you have to have a job upstate, you have to.
Speaker 1:So to me that was the best one to have. And then they made me the A person, which meant that I was in charge of the cows and stuff like that, until someone ratted me out. He said she doesn't have an high school education. Fuck you, I know so. Then he said you know what I'm still going to make you the A person, I know so. Then he said you know what I'm still going to make you the A person Because he knew I took good care of the cows, the farmer they bring in a farmer and all that stuff over there. And I told him this is just like. I know don't take this literal, but when I first looked at that I was like I told the farmer I was like, look, I'm a crazy, I'm sure.
Speaker 2:And of course, the star of our show is the madam herself, julie Moya. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time, you.
