Shenanigans, Indeed: Manager At Capital Region Gentleman's Club Busted Selling Meth, Feds Say

The general manager of a gentleman’s club in the region is facing federal charges after he was allegedly busted in an undercover sting selling drugs.

Luiggi Canessa, who manages Shenanigans gentlemen's club in Schenectady, is named in a complaint filed in US District Court in the Northern District on Tuesday, April 9.

FBI agents began investigating a “wide array of crime” occurring at the club, as well as an adjoining business, Sheer Pleasure Lingerie, in late 2023, according to the complaint.

That conduct allegedly included drug and sex trafficking, and wire fraud.

Canessa, who manages both businesses, was arrested on Tuesday, Feb. 13, 2024, after he sold an undercover FBI source more than five grams of methamphetamine, the agency said.

Unbeknownst to Canessa, the source was wearing a hidden recording device and being physically surveilled by FBI agents.

Following his arrest, Canessa reportedly admitted to agents that he sold numerous drugs from his home, which is located just yards from his businesses. They included methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and MDMA, according to the complaint.

He is charged with distribution of a controlled substance, specifically five grams or more or meth.