Residents Oppose Proposed Route 1 “Health Club” and Massage Parlor-October 13, 1981

More than 60 concerned local residents—representing a broad coalition of clergy, civic organizations, and youth groups—packed into Memorial Hall last night to voice staunch opposition to the proposed opening of a massage parlor and health club along the Route 1 corridor.

The turnout was so large that the Board of Health was forced to relocate its session to accommodate the crowd. Representatives from the Norwood Boy Scouts, Catholic Women’s Club, Mother’s Club, Knights of Columbus, and the League of Women Voters turned out in force alongside local clergy, including Rev. Nifon Abraham of St. George Orthodox Church, and Scoutmaster Kevin Diggins and Rev. Paul Moynihan of St. Catherine of Siena Church.

Operator Withdraws Temporarily as Board Pledges Transparency

The facility’s proposed operator, Mario Mancinelli—who operates Richard’s Athletic Club on Turnpike Street (Route 138) in Canton—had an initial appointment scheduled with the board. However, after briefly conferring with board members and observing the massive gathering of citizens, Mancinelli left before the public session commenced and did not submit a formal license application.

Health Board Chairman Mary Jane O’Donnell assured attendees that Mancinelli was fully aware of the public opposition. Health Director Bartley J. King won loud applause when he told the audience, “My job is investigating. I think I can do a pretty good job. We will do everything we can to protect your interests.”

To ensure complete transparency, the Health Board made two key commitments:

1. To provide advance public notice before acting on any future health club or massage parlor license applications.
2. To enforce a mandatory 14-day waiting period after an application is filed before taking any official vote.

Board member Henry T. McAuliffe cast the lone vote against the 14-day waiting period, having earlier moved to table the proposal entirely because Mancinelli had not yet formally identified the precise location of the facility.

Background and Regulatory Friction

At a prior meeting on September 22, Mancinelli insisted his proposed venture was a legitimate health club for men and women featuring exercise equipment, saunas, and whirlpools, stating, “Richard’s Athletic Club is not a massage parlor.” At the time, he disclosed he was negotiating for roughly 3,500 square feet of space near “No Place Like Sam’s” at Route 1 and Vanderbilt Avenue, noting that massage would be only one of several amenities offered.

District 4 Town Meeting Representative Joseph T. Turner dismissed the distinction, arguing that a massage parlor by any other name remains the same.

Health officials acknowledged that while the board is not legally mandated to hold a public hearing for a massage parlor license (unlike regulations governing cemeteries or dumps), all board meetings remain fully open to the public. Health Director King also cautioned that the town could face potential litigation from Mancinelli, noting that the operator had criticized the board’s operational regulations as “discriminatory”—an apparent reference to local rules prohibiting cross-gender massages between male operators and female patrons, or vice versa.

O’Donnell and board member Patricia Anne Talbot confirmed that a thorough background check and formal review of Mancinelli’s credentials will be conducted the moment an official license application is filed.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger