And just like that, South Beach went from one strip club to none. Club Madonna's business license was pulled for six months amid allegations that a 13-year-old girl stripped at the establishment.
The club at 1527 Washington Ave. will be closed for at least six months pending the outcome of the investigation.
"Based on the gravity of recent allegations, the evidence collected and the owner's admitted failure to have the required knowledge of what illegal activity occurs at Club Madonna, I have determined that this activity presents an actual threat to the public health, welfare, and safety of the public," City Manager Jimmy Morales said in a statement.
A 13-year-old girl, identified only as D.J., ran away from home earlier this month and found herself entangled with three adults who plied her with booze and marijuana and forced her into sex work. After the girl refused to work as a prostitute, the trio hatched a plan to make her work as a stripper. One of the accused, Marlene San Vincente, also worked as a dancer at the club and might have slipped the girl past management and onto the club floor.
Club reps say they have no record of the girl working there, but owner Leroy Griffith admitted he heard that the girl might have worked there.
Griffith has long waged a public battle with City of Miami Beach officials. City ordinance forbids strip bars from serving liquor, hence the reason Club Madonna had a monopoly on the strip market in South Beach in the first place. Most strip clubs operate in other parts of the county, where they can serve booze.
According to CBS 4, D.J.'s mother also plans to file a lawsuit against Club Madonna.
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