KINKY CONDO SCION SUED (gay culture takeover alert)

NY POST ^ | August 23, 2004 | RICH CALDER

[Liz]

The son of a billionaire printing-company mogul who was found to be running a secret S&M sex club for gay men from his penthouse apartment is now being sued by the other condo owners.

A corporation set up to manage the posh 12-story condo complex in Gramercy Park has filed suit against H. Richard Quadracci — the subject of a Post investigation — in an attempt to get him to stop running his kinky Winter Palace club, saying it violates the condo association's bylaws.

"The unit owners respect his right to live the way he chooses, but when you have people coming there paying for sex, for rooms to have sex, it damages the property values of the building," said Mark Freyberg, a lawyer for the condo association. "The man has completely attempted to take over the entire building."

The suit, filed Aug. 12 in Manhattan Supreme Court, also seeks court orders requiring the rich recluse to pay $2 million in damages to the building's other condo owners, pay $16,182 that he allegedly owes the condo association, stop promoting his club on the Internet, and get rid of an "unauthorized" security guard he recently posted in the building's lobby.

David Stone, who identified himself Friday as Quadracci's director of security, said Quadracci hired him after The Post article was published July 19 because "he now fears being extorted, kidnapped or physically harmed."

Stone said he is investigating an extortion attempt on Quadracci by an unidentified individual. Quadracci's domestic partner, who wished to remain anonymous, said Quadracci had not yet been served the suit and, therefore, he could not comment. Following the Post probe, police began investigating whether people were illegally accepting money for sex in Quadracci's East 20th Street apartment, sources said.

[Liz]

QUADRACCI Spurs property-value fears.

.....(he) set up rooms for paying customers that connect to a 1,000-square-foot "playroom" equipped with a cross, bondage boards, harness power hoists and other X-rated paraphernalia, according to the club's voyeur-friendly Web site. ......club also arranges encounters with "trusted professionals" from the S&M community, the site said. One pro, Master Justice, said in an e-mail obtained by The Post that he charges $200 an hour for his time, separate from the club's fee. The three-level sex vault — which includes the rooftop — is equipped with dozens of cameras that route steamy images to screens throughout the club and the Internet. ....(he) limited access to the club's Web site by requiring individuals who want to view the X-rated action ......to first sign in with a secret password.

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

"Come onnnnnn, Blaine, you thilly, thagging old fairy, you! Tonight'th 'Rump-A-Dump-Dump Night' at Richard'th condo, for heaven'th thake! THTEP ON IT, honey! I'm thanking Wong Foo for everything, tonight! WHEEEEEEEEE -- !" :)

[john_virtue]

What a surprise, he donates to rats!

[alpha-8-25-02]

goodmorning,
no suprise at all!

[harrycarey]

lol... Violation of condo bylaws.

I wonder if anyone is going to jump into this thread and tell us that condo associations/home-owner associations are stealing our freedom.

[jocon307]

Oh my heaven's in GRAMERCY PARK!!?!?!?!?! This is one of the most exclusive, and staid, residential areas of NYC. I can't believe this. Awful, just awful.

[atomicpossum]

This wouldn't happen if only they could marry. [/sarc]

[KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle]

This wouldn't happen if only they could marry.

This wouldn't happen if only they could Mary. :)

[Elsie]

There goes the Neighborhood!

[Liz]

........and thtep on it.....my goidle ith killing me..........

[Liz]

Property values go kerplunk.

[jtminton]

it damages the property values of the building

Depends on who you are selling to. . .

[NativeNewYorker]

What makes this a wonderful New York story is that "the building" didn't give a damn til he began to use his unit for illegal purposes, stiffing (ouch) the association for maintenance charges, and generally violating his contract with other owners.

I've read quite a few relevant contracts, and they are very clear on what one can do. Everyone buying in such a building does so with full knowledge of this.

In my Sodom co-op, the least troublesome owners are a couple of elderly gay men....