City loses infamous sex, gambling den
Rendi A. Witular, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The infamous Kalijodo prostitution and gambling complex in North Jakarta had become a lucrative spot for illegal profiteers, but it seems those days are gone, at least in Kalijodo.
It was a "money machine" for Gondo, 43, a local resident who operated two gambling and prostitution parlors in the area.
One of his three-story parlors called Pondok Indah was burnt down during the recent riots that broke out on Saturday.
"Every night I could earn at least Rp 500,000 profit from the operation of the two pubs alone. Not including the room fees, which were Rp 15,000 for 3 hours," he said.
"I have 30 4x3 meter rooms located in two different parlors, which pulled in at least Rp 800,000 per night", he said.
He refused to mention the number of sex workers operating for him, but did say that their price was around Rp 60,000 per customer.
Gondo claimed that he was the first to open a pub and prostitution center in Kalijodo back in 1985. Pondok Indah was located in the area under the control of the Aziz group, one of the three notorious gangs in the area, while the other one located inside the area was controlled by the H. Usman group.
On Tuesday morning, Gondo and his workers were seen packing up their belongings, ready to move to another locale as city authorities planned to permanently shut down Kalijodo.
"Well, this time it seems that the authorities are going to keep their word and close the place, not just a hoax like last year," he said.
Another "success" story is H. Usman, the godfather of a gang from Mandar, South Sulawesi.
According to Adang, not a real name, one of H. Usman's subordinates who participated in the riots, his "boss" controls about 500 people from Mandar.
"He came here around 1985 as a petty croupier, eventually running a koprok gambling den (a type of gambling game using dice). Now, he owns luxury homes in Pluit, Tambora and Bekasi as a result of his business activities in Kalijodo," said Adang whose whole body, from feet to neck, is adorned with tattoos.
H. Usman lives in a luxurious house in Pluit's Karang Sari exclusive housing complex. According to a sidewalk vendor in the area, every Thursday he would donate food to the poor who live in the area.
His subordinates were reportedly involved in the brawl with rival hoodlums from the gang led by Aziz from Makassar, South Sulawesi, which apparently led to the riots.
Kalijodo is located along the river bank of Kali Grogol in North Jakarta, inside the residential area of Pejagalan subdistrict.
It was originally one of the city's Chinese neighborhoods and was a popular spot for men to fish in the 1950's. Women also often used to wash clothes in the river, which was clean at that time. Kalijodo later became a popular place for lovers or people looking for mates, as reflected in the name kali, meaning river, and jodo meaning match.
Meliani, a long time resident, recalled a kinder, gentler time, when in 1975, at the age of 15, she could still swim there and drink the water.
"But in 1980s the water began to become horribly polluted and at the same time outsiders from Sulawesi and Banten flocked to the area," she lamented.
In the 1980's, prostitutes also began to flock to the area, followed by the thugs and gangs. Many locals chose to leave the formerly peaceful neighborhood of their youth, for good.