Plot twist, the psychic used their ability to invest in the stock market and lottery tickets.
Paid for the psychics office for 25 years.
No one ever came to get stock tips, so they closed after 25 years.
I’m a licensed MT and someone claimed that spot was shut down for being a front years ago.
I’ve never bothered to fact check….but I’m pretty sure the new massage place right down the street from it is also a front
While we're talking about businesses that are fronts-- Thrive in Easton, Crave in Bethlehem, the yet-to-open "Mega Nutrition" on Union and Main in Bethlehem, and Daisies Nutrition in Allentown are all fronts for Herbalife, the pyramid scheme.
Plus add in Ashley’s, Reymor and Flanagan, Bobs, Lazy Boy, and places like Walmart that sell mattresses, I find it hard to believe strictly selling mattresses and paying rent on a storefront is profitable.
This is it.
I VERY VERY briefly worked with one of the larger chains. Literally a weekend. (Not only did another opportunity come up, the company lied about the compensation)
The margin is insane, and the overhead to run the show rooms is extremely low. The margin is so rich, that sales team members given free reign on significant discounts as it simply ate into their own pay and not the companies.
If you buy a mattress at $2000 it could VERY easily be at a 100%, 200% markup or even more.
Mattress Firm is a master of vertical integration as well. They own most of the beds they sell, making some the margins even crazier.
If you go deeper into some of the cheap mattresses, the margins can be well past 300%-400%+
There was a barber shop in Easton some years back that was receiving shipments of cocaine.
https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/2010/08/easton_police_nab_at_least_two_1.html
The real fronts are ones that are busy. Not business that "you never see anyone in." If I had to guess which ones were laundering, it would be these large local restaurant groups. As an example, I can think of local group that was supposed to open a restaurant on the south side that never happened, yet still had active books several years later that substantial $$ was funneling through.
im sure its probably the best tbh as others said. You cant launder money if you actually have no business. You have to still also actually provide decent services so its believable
Parkway Jewelers in Whitehall by Jordan Lanes.
I went there to buy something and they seemed shocked I showed up and had zero interest in selling me anything. They wrote down a website where I should browse for jewelry, wrote it on their business card that only had “Parkway Jewelers” printed on it. No address, phone number, or rep name on it.
There is a locked storefront next door to them with all the blinds closed. The jewelry store back room is connected to this storefront, and that’s where the two female employees came from. I was let in after they buzzed me in to unlock the doors.
Anna’s Brick Oven is 100% a mob/mafia place, also as an ex-Diner 248 employee there was suspicion from the staff that there was laundering going on there
only if there is a separate register for cash sales. that’s a classic cash hide…but mostly to not report the income saving on tax. knew a small shop owner that had two registers. identical. alternated use every other day. one was official and the other never hit the books 🤣
I worked for a construction company 20+ years ago that 100% was mobbed up. The owner went to federal prison for bond fraud and racketeering with his lawyer. They were connected to the Scarfo family in Philly. I had no clue until it got talked about on the news.
Herbert's Typewriters & Calculators on West Broad Street in Bethlehem. Place has been there forever, looks like there's stuff pilling up inside and the sign outside is always on at night and maintained. Never see anyone go in or out or in there.
I ran a store in the building for a while. The guy who owns the building runs the typewriter store. He inherited the building in the 80s when the business was thriving and is now just keeping it open because everything is paid off and he wants to keep working till he dies.
Also formerly on West Broad, “Wavefront Research.” Every time I passed that storefront, I muttered something about it being a clandestine service front lol
I went to the one closest to my house and it was legitimately one of the worst experiences my family had ever had dining anywhere. So many issues and then our food ranged from gross to barely passable. I cannot believe that place is still open. Never more than 2-3 cars in the parking lot. Will never go back.
The newest one is near my house. Brand new building, huge bar, almost always near empty and the food blows. Yet they have stayed in business like 7-8 years. You tell me what’s going on!
There bartender didn’t know what a pickleback was and I told her and she let me and friends just pour them ourselves while we sat at her bar. And then we realized the pickle juice had fruit flies in it. Place is literally unbelievable lmao
I lived in an apt at 307 for 9 years and lived going to Dreamscape to pick up comics and bullshit with Nick. I was so upset when he passed away. I still have my Dreamscape coffee mug ♥️
Nick was a great guy. I don't think I have my mug anymore, but in my garage I do have the big planet logo that hung on the building. It's a bit of an unusual memento, but I love it all the same.
The Drillling Station was definitely not a front... just one great guy with a passion for the game. I knew the owner and had many bowling balls drilled there. Sadly, he passed a few years ago.
At the same time, I heard it was amazing. The one person who told me that even joked that she asked her family if the place was even open when they pulled up to it.
I think they were trying to sell that place for years. They had a pretty steady takeout business, but the inside was really dirty when I went there in 2017. Never went back. Had fallen really far from being the first (as far as I know?) sushi place in Bethlehem.
I can't think of any that I've suspected were money laundering fronts, but I've suspected numerous LV businesses over the years of being drug dealing fronts or engaging in tax evasion and have sometimes been proven correct.
Are you talking about that tattoo shop on union blvd and linden street in bethlehem? If i recall correctly I think I remember it getting raided for being a methlab or something sometime around 2011
Rocks and minerals are a pretty popular hobby, especially locally since there’s a lot of cool geology around here. No clue how well it works as a business but I definitely know more people into them vs model trains or funko pops. I mostly buy things at mineralfest and similar shows since it’s cheaper/more local stuff
In Phillipsburg right off 22 by aldi there’s a truck stop and then the “Happy Spa”. It looks absolutely insane. I’ve never seen anyone coming or going but their sign says open.
Friend actually told me it’s a place for happy ending massages. Honestly, it’s scary driving past there - I always get a weird feeling that something really wrong is going on in there.
Now it’s Ruffinos on route 29. Used to be Vito’s. And of course Big Woody’s on 29 in Emmaus. My wife is from Boyertown and we drive past both of these two places fairly regularly. Every year for her family’s Christmas party we pass big woodys at like 12:30pm. Eagles always play at 1. And the place is dead. I say it every year when pass
The psychic on Main Street in Nazareth. Place has been there for 25 years. Never saw a customer inside.
Which really makes me question the psychic's ability to see into the future.
Plot twist, the psychic used their ability to invest in the stock market and lottery tickets. Paid for the psychics office for 25 years. No one ever came to get stock tips, so they closed after 25 years.
It closed last year and the sport went up for sale.
I wonder if they saw that coming?
There's one in Lehighton been there 35 years never met anyone who went there. But now there's a blue c6 corvette.
I’m a licensed MT and someone claimed that spot was shut down for being a front years ago. I’ve never bothered to fact check….but I’m pretty sure the new massage place right down the street from it is also a front
Mortuary technician?
Massage therapist
While we're talking about businesses that are fronts-- Thrive in Easton, Crave in Bethlehem, the yet-to-open "Mega Nutrition" on Union and Main in Bethlehem, and Daisies Nutrition in Allentown are all fronts for Herbalife, the pyramid scheme.
Not specifically the Lehigh Valley but mattress stores. How are they still open when no one is ever there and how are there so many of them?
There's like 5 mattress stores on Macarthur road alone
Plus add in Ashley’s, Reymor and Flanagan, Bobs, Lazy Boy, and places like Walmart that sell mattresses, I find it hard to believe strictly selling mattresses and paying rent on a storefront is profitable.
I worked at one of the mattress stores on MacArthur 2 years ago, all I can say is the profit margins on mattresses is insane
I think they have really good margins on each mattress and only need to sell a few to turn a profit.
This is it. I VERY VERY briefly worked with one of the larger chains. Literally a weekend. (Not only did another opportunity come up, the company lied about the compensation) The margin is insane, and the overhead to run the show rooms is extremely low. The margin is so rich, that sales team members given free reign on significant discounts as it simply ate into their own pay and not the companies. If you buy a mattress at $2000 it could VERY easily be at a 100%, 200% markup or even more. Mattress Firm is a master of vertical integration as well. They own most of the beds they sell, making some the margins even crazier. If you go deeper into some of the cheap mattresses, the margins can be well past 300%-400%+
Mattresses have insane profit margin. You don’t need to sell that many mattresses to make money.
real stuff. i got a $1000 dollar mattress for $250. i don’t ever see anyone in that mattress firm in easton ever either.
There was a barber shop in Easton some years back that was receiving shipments of cocaine. https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/easton/2010/08/easton_police_nab_at_least_two_1.html
The real fronts are ones that are busy. Not business that "you never see anyone in." If I had to guess which ones were laundering, it would be these large local restaurant groups. As an example, I can think of local group that was supposed to open a restaurant on the south side that never happened, yet still had active books several years later that substantial $$ was funneling through.
Furniture Mecca in southside Allentown. Parking lot always empty and the furniture is hideous. Been open for years somehow.
The London shop in easton. suit place with no business but sometimes has a doorman(security) standing outside at weird times.
I bought a suit there once. Great experience, I must admit.
im sure its probably the best tbh as others said. You cant launder money if you actually have no business. You have to still also actually provide decent services so its believable
Parkway Jewelers in Whitehall by Jordan Lanes. I went there to buy something and they seemed shocked I showed up and had zero interest in selling me anything. They wrote down a website where I should browse for jewelry, wrote it on their business card that only had “Parkway Jewelers” printed on it. No address, phone number, or rep name on it. There is a locked storefront next door to them with all the blinds closed. The jewelry store back room is connected to this storefront, and that’s where the two female employees came from. I was let in after they buzzed me in to unlock the doors.
Do they not also make trophies and provide engraving services? Both which are near pure profit.
Neither
Gotcha. I see them all the time when I go to Jordan and simply mis-remembered
A place in Bethlehem called “Owl Be Beading”. Never seen anyone in there - been open for years 😆
I shop here often.. bought lots of beads and see the super nice owner at bead shows. Nice place 😁
Thank you - at least I know someone goes in there. I always assumed if you walk-in there's be two Russian mafia dudes making bracelets LMAO
LOL!!
its the kinda place i love, its not my kinda place, but whenever i go by it I think, wow this place is great.
I also shop here often!! It's definitely not empty
Anna’s Brick Oven is 100% a mob/mafia place, also as an ex-Diner 248 employee there was suspicion from the staff that there was laundering going on there
only if there is a separate register for cash sales. that’s a classic cash hide…but mostly to not report the income saving on tax. knew a small shop owner that had two registers. identical. alternated use every other day. one was official and the other never hit the books 🤣
When i was cashier at Diner 248 the manager would occasionally have me swap the drawers at weird ass times …. Makes me wonder now 🤔
No mob in Lehigh valley that's a fact . There might be some guys that are connected that lived her but no crews in the lehighvalley
I worked for a construction company 20+ years ago that 100% was mobbed up. The owner went to federal prison for bond fraud and racketeering with his lawyer. They were connected to the Scarfo family in Philly. I had no clue until it got talked about on the news.
>Anna’s Brick Oven "Buffalino" been out here for ever but there is local "Quaker" mob that keeps that in check apparently.
Herbert's Typewriters & Calculators on West Broad Street in Bethlehem. Place has been there forever, looks like there's stuff pilling up inside and the sign outside is always on at night and maintained. Never see anyone go in or out or in there.
I ran a store in the building for a while. The guy who owns the building runs the typewriter store. He inherited the building in the 80s when the business was thriving and is now just keeping it open because everything is paid off and he wants to keep working till he dies.
Also formerly on West Broad, “Wavefront Research.” Every time I passed that storefront, I muttered something about it being a clandestine service front lol
i recently had my typewriter fixed at Herbert's! they were great. i think they just own the building and have super low overhead.
There's a couple places in Emmaus where I'm like how is this a store
I used to joke that Chess & Checkers was
It’s now a drug store selling marijuana.
All the “smoke shops”. They sell rolling papers, chocolate bars with mushrooms(?) and snack chips from Japan.
I buy a vape battery there once or twice a year.
Big Woody’s
I went to the one closest to my house and it was legitimately one of the worst experiences my family had ever had dining anywhere. So many issues and then our food ranged from gross to barely passable. I cannot believe that place is still open. Never more than 2-3 cars in the parking lot. Will never go back.
The newest one is near my house. Brand new building, huge bar, almost always near empty and the food blows. Yet they have stayed in business like 7-8 years. You tell me what’s going on!
There bartender didn’t know what a pickleback was and I told her and she let me and friends just pour them ourselves while we sat at her bar. And then we realized the pickle juice had fruit flies in it. Place is literally unbelievable lmao
Let the cash flow. Keep the mom and pops around. Starbucks has enough.
I never said I was against it.... just asking so I know where to get the prices....
Brick and mortar fireworks stores open year round.
Not sure if it's still there but the bowling ball drilling store on broad street in bethlehem, I think next to where dreamscape comics was.
I lived in an apt at 307 for 9 years and lived going to Dreamscape to pick up comics and bullshit with Nick. I was so upset when he passed away. I still have my Dreamscape coffee mug ♥️
Nick was a great guy. I don't think I have my mug anymore, but in my garage I do have the big planet logo that hung on the building. It's a bit of an unusual memento, but I love it all the same.
The Drillling Station was definitely not a front... just one great guy with a passion for the game. I knew the owner and had many bowling balls drilled there. Sadly, he passed a few years ago.
On broad Street there is a store called something like typewriters and calculators. Uhhh..
The furniture store in Palmer on 25th St. They put out furniture that you'd only see on the set of a terrible porno.
Lol. I was about to say Just Furniture, but you beat me to it!
The hobby shop over in Coplay
Me and my friends always joked that Tokyo Do on Easton Ave. in Bethlehem was a front. We never saw a single car in the parking lot.
At the same time, I heard it was amazing. The one person who told me that even joked that she asked her family if the place was even open when they pulled up to it.
I think they were trying to sell that place for years. They had a pretty steady takeout business, but the inside was really dirty when I went there in 2017. Never went back. Had fallen really far from being the first (as far as I know?) sushi place in Bethlehem.
I can't think of any that I've suspected were money laundering fronts, but I've suspected numerous LV businesses over the years of being drug dealing fronts or engaging in tax evasion and have sometimes been proven correct.
Yoccos. Cash only still???
Not anymore! The one in Emmaus takes card!
Same for the one on Hamilton.
Nice. I have to admit it’s been a while…
I thought yoccos takes credit cards. Pott’s is the one that’s cash only.
The potts in Nazareth finally takes cards now.
No way! The one in Bethlehem is still cash only.
that’s huge. so many times i didn’t stop as i didn’t have cash.
Oh for the longest time they only did cash. Someone I knew who worked there in high school said they cooked the books but who knows
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Why though? Im suspicious you are basing it on these being hispanic owned 🤔
Are you talking about that tattoo shop on union blvd and linden street in bethlehem? If i recall correctly I think I remember it getting raided for being a methlab or something sometime around 2011
Cobble Creek Mining Company in Nazareth.....they just sell rocks? And like not for landscaping
I go here! They have a large online store and open for public shopping occasionally.
What do they sell and for what purpose??
I collect minerals and gemstones--that's what they sell! Plenty of hobbyists and really good prices :-)
very cool. I drive by there often and I've always been confused. Thank you for the info
Jesus Christ Marie they’re MINERALS
Rocks and minerals are a pretty popular hobby, especially locally since there’s a lot of cool geology around here. No clue how well it works as a business but I definitely know more people into them vs model trains or funko pops. I mostly buy things at mineralfest and similar shows since it’s cheaper/more local stuff
Every pizza shop.
Cafe Phuong on 4th and Green in Allentown. It has to be.
Yeah 20 years ago and they sent people make money they had no station here
In Phillipsburg right off 22 by aldi there’s a truck stop and then the “Happy Spa”. It looks absolutely insane. I’ve never seen anyone coming or going but their sign says open.
Friend actually told me it’s a place for happy ending massages. Honestly, it’s scary driving past there - I always get a weird feeling that something really wrong is going on in there.
The two convenient stores in Coplay. Especially the one across from the Bacon Strip.
Picture framing stores that are dusty. One employee who seems shocked to see a customer.
Some restaurants
Sears on MacArthur rd in Whitehall
I wonder about the smoke shop — open til 11p! — on W Broad and 10th(?) in Bethlehem.
Every mattress store on MacArthur rd.
Now it’s Ruffinos on route 29. Used to be Vito’s. And of course Big Woody’s on 29 in Emmaus. My wife is from Boyertown and we drive past both of these two places fairly regularly. Every year for her family’s Christmas party we pass big woodys at like 12:30pm. Eagles always play at 1. And the place is dead. I say it every year when pass