Back in 2004 when I still lived in the big apple. I was working for the New York City Comptrollers office (just as a custodian), but I always came across interesting conversations and drafts of what the Comptrollers priorities and focus were on reguarding the cities finances. One of his main battles in the city was the battle against counterfeit or boot-leg clothing.

I mean this was a real big deal in the city at that time. I can't remember the numbers exactly but it was in the millions and that was due to the lost of state and federal revenue from the non payment of taxes as well as the lost of sells. The counterfeit merchandise at that time that was most boot-legged was Louis Vuitton and Gucci and the owners of those respected companies were in an up-roar they were crying for some sort of relief.

I must admit that at that time in 2003, 2004 the counterfeit game in N.Y.C was wide open. I guess it was good for some and bad for others and the others were the owners of all those high end clothing lines.

I mean, O.K. check this out!and I'm talking from knowledge of being there shopping and everything. Here it goes. On like 29th and 30th street and broadway in Manhattan there were (are) certain buildings that would look like regular places of business with people coming in and out all day long. But the thing is if you did'nt know you just did'nt know because if you were to go inside one of these certain buildings you would see a whole different story.

Inside is like something you have never seen before. You can't make this stuff up I tell you! Inside is counterfeit heaven. Each and every floor in the building has different booths with different counterfeit stuff. The GOOD counterfeit stuff. Every designer you can think of. Every shoe maker, every handbag maker, you get my point?

It was so crazy that on the weekends you would see buses that came in from other states just to come to the buildings and shop. People would buy the knock-off stuff bring it back to their state and sell it for a profit.

Everybody knew what was going on.Those streets stayed packed with Russians and Africans with trucks and boxes of shipment coming in and out. Police never said a word.

You know it is now the year 2012 and I think the boot-legging problem in N.Y.C the fashion capital has gotten even worse.Why do I say that? Because I just read in an article the other day that the Feds had aressted 29 people from China and the U.S. for smuggling boot legg shoes, handbags, and clothing worth about $325 million had they been the real deal. That info was from a statement made by the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of New Jersey.

The U.S.Attorneys office also said that these guys had attempted to smuggle the goods from China through Port Newark-Elizabeth Marine Terminal in Elizabeth N.J. and you know from their it's going stright to New York. They also tried to pay off undercover cops with $900.000 to get through. But as you can see! That did not work!

So lastly to wrap this up I just want to throw this last number at ya, In 20011 HomeLand Sercurity seized 24,792 counterfeit and pirated goods, valued at $178.9 million with a store value of $1.1billion bucks. Am I in the wrong biz????