In 1996, Blutrich, after being implicated in an unrelated $400 million fraud case in Florida, began to cooperate secretly with federal authorities, concerning alleged Gambino crime family extortions from the club's officials and its employees.
The club's new administrators attributed the losses to debts incurred by previous managers who were dominated by organized crime, and to extensive renovation costs to comply with the city's new zoning regulations.
[3] In 2002, Scores formed a partnership with video game publisher Acclaim Entertainment, with footage of the club's employees being featured as unlockable content in the extreme sports title BMX XXX.
[5] As part of the game's marketing campaign, Acclaim launched a "Ms. BMX XXX" competition, in which female contestants submitted a digital photo of themselves or a friend, which was subject to a public vote.
Manhattan's District Attorney said that an investigation into customers' complaints of overcharging revealed a scheme by Scores managers involving shell companies, the pressuring of some strippers into giving kickbacks, and the falsification of income tax returns.
[1] The license of the Scores location in Chelsea, Manhattan was suspended for two years, after undercover police found women selling sex in back rooms, VIP lounges and bathrooms.