CHINATOWN FAKES | Counterfeit goods stores boarded up after NYPD raid

Orange signs blaze from covered storefronts, basement walkouts and plate glass windows - 32 stores, all "Closed by court order."

After a Feb. 26 police raid of counterfeit retailers, most of the block bound by Canal, Walker, Centre and Baxter streets in Chinatown - notoriously known as the Counterfeit Triangle - was boarded up.

Two weeks ago, the New York Police Department and Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement collaborated to seize approximately $1 million in knockoff Rolex, Calvin Klein and other trademark items. The bust came after a five-week investigation conducted through undercover purchases.

"Each corner of [the Counterfeit] Triangle flouted the law and lowered the quality of life in the area," said Shari Hyman, director of the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement.

"Counterfeit goods cheat the city, consumers, legitimate business owners and trademark holders, and their proliferation is standing in the way of the revitalization of Chinatown," Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said in an official press release after the bust.

But not everyone wants counterfeiters gone for good.

"Status in our society is based on money," CAS freshman Kat Zubko said, "and I think that fake brands are fine because they allow people to subvert that system."

What was once prime territory for the trade in knockoff designer merchandise is now empty and silent. Where potential customers were once bombarded with offers of Gucci and Prada are now patrolled by police, and many retailers deny carrying knockoff goods. Most of the employees who still work there either cannot speak English or will not speak at all about the raid of neighboring stores.

But the knockoffs haven't entirely vanished, they're just harder to find.

Across the street, one man mumbles "Louis Vuitton" under his breath as people walk past. As a precaution against police action, he doesn't operate out of an actual storefront. He herds potential customers under a scaffold, where they view a laminated card printed with pictures of the bags. The man retrieves the desired bag from his stock and names the price later.

Another vendor has created a false storefront to disguise the illegal merchandise. Behind a door cut into the wall, potential customers squeeze into a tiny, unventilated room lined with racks of purses. Money is exchanged within the back room, which is monitored by the shopkeeper.

One souvenir store employee, who spoke only on the condition of anonymity, said that a similar bust happened two months ago. The police had busted almost everyone in the mall and even legitimate stores were temporarily closed.

The employee said that the counterfeit retailers had kept their doors shut and stashed their illegal goods behind the walls.

"They were selling for a long time and never got caught," she said.

Lindsey Thomas is a staff writer. E-mail her at cstate@nyunews.com.