Inside Howard Rubin’s perverted chamber of secrets at penthouse just below Central Park
A short walk from the home where long-time Wall Street financier Howard Rubin lived with his wife and three children in Manhattan, he kept a second apartment.
The $18,000 a month penthouse at Metropolitan Tower Condominium on 57th street, just below Central Park, has excellent views — but most of his visitors never got to see them.
According to prosecutors Rubin converted the place into a seedy “built-in” sex dungeon where he allegedly tortured dozens of women with savage beatings, rape and even electrocutions.
Rubin and his assistant Jennifer Powers now stand accused of running a $1 million bondage and masochism sex-trafficking scheme between 2009 and 2019, with much of the activity taking place in the sound-proofed apartment.
The Post this week reported how Rubin – worth tens of millions — had a “revolving door” of women who dined with him at a bistro near the apartment and court papers describe several of his alleged victims as Playboy models and models.
“It seemed like he paid for their boobs, butts and faces… They were all blond,” said a server, who asked to remain anonymous.There were also red flags, according to a former associate of Rubin’s, who told The Post: “It’s generally not a good sign when men who aren’t public figures make women sign non-disclosure agreements before going on dates.”
Once inside his lair, his alleged victims – many of whom say they were lured there under false pretenses – endured depraved behavior.
The lockable room was painted red, with white carpet, and included various sadism and bondage devices and equipment, according to court documents obtained by The Post.
Among the items in the room was an X-shaped “St. Andrews cross” and bed with restraints where the women would be bound, chained and gagged, according to the authorities.
Also inside the dungeon was a collection of sex toys, full-face masks with zippers, ropes, chains, metal hooks, and other devices such as a cattle prod used to inflict harm, according to his alleged victims.
On July 30, 2012, Powers — who allegedly helped lure dozens of women for him to abuse – emailed Rubin with details of how she had furnished the dungeon, noting:
“I’ve put chains on the four points of your cross and four points of the Dungeon bed. On the end of each chain is a cuff. … I’ve done this bc it will be VERY easy to just throw someone on the cross or on the bed and just strap them into the ‘pre-made’ chains and cuffs,” federal documents said.
One of Rubin’s alleged victims said she was tied to the cross, beaten and whipped, court documents show.
While hitting another woman Rubin allegedly stated that she “is the baby, and Howie is the daddy. The daddy has to beat his baby,” according to the filings.
Rubin even kept a lawyer on retainer who’s job was simply to deal with the fallout from all his perverted business, sources told The Post.
People familiar with the luxury building are shocked, because while it is very secure and discreet, staff are also very thorough.
“That place is Fort Knox,” a real estate source said. “The door staff are incredibly attentive and don’t let anything past them … The front desk takes all of your information every time you enter the building.
“[Maybe he] paid off the door staff – it’s not great but it’s a pretty common thing to happen in this city.”
A spokesperson for Macklowe Properties, the company that manages the Metropolitan Tower Condominium building declined to comment when contacted by The Post.
Attorneys for Rubin and Powers also did not return The Post’s requests for comment.
Private kink dens are more common across the city than most people realize, according to Corcoran real estate advisor Thomas Ventura, who pointed out such facilities are generally built for consensual pleasure and not where illegal activity takes place.
“If they want a sex dungeon give them a sex dungeon,” he said, in reference to requests he’s received.
“We had a situation where were representing the sellers and the son of a very well-known children’s author came in to see the apartment and he was asking a lot of particular questions. Through the conversation we were able to deduce he had a very, shall we say, ‘active’ social life and he wanted to make sure the apartment was totally soundproofed.
“We had to have a full on conversation about how do we soundproof this apartment in a way so he’s not going to disturb the next-door neighbor and get noise complaints.
“It just goes to show every buyer has different search criteria and top priorities.”
Allegations against Rubin first came to light in 2017, when he was taken to civil court by multiple Florida women who accused him of violent sexual assaults in New York. He was also sued in Brooklyn federal court in 2022.
Two of his victims were described in civil court papers as Playboy models, including Amy Moore, Mia Lytell and a third, Stephanie Caldwell, who was identified as a model and a dancer.
Another model and student from Atlanta, Emma Hopper, was also part of the civil litigation against Rubin and Powers.
A jury found Rubin — whose 30-year career included a stint at billionaire George Soros’ investment firm — liable for millions of dollars, but cleared Powers at a 2022 civil trial in Brooklyn.
Another source – who was in Senior Management at Merrill Lynch alongside Rubin and his then-wife Mary Henry in the mid 1980s – described him as “smart” with “an intuitive feel for the markets”.
But they added he “was always out for himself.”
“He was kept on by the very senior people of Merrill Lynch, because Merrill Lynch was a sales-driven firm not a trader-driven firm so they kept him on because he did large trades.”
The source said Rubin lost money at both Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns, but really made his fortune for George Soros. He also said he was never a team player and never hung out with other traders after work.
“I would see him talking to his wife at work. They had nice homes in Manhattan and in Long Island, and they did philanthropy.
“But he was probably doing the same thing that he was doing with the women back then…like I said, he never had a moral compass,” the source added.
Rubin has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and is being held without bail pending his next court date on Oct. 20.
Powers, who now lives in Texas, has also pleaded not guilty and is currently free on bail after posting an $850,000 bond.
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