I looked at the address links posted upthread for the swingers club. The address next door at 15 E 27th was a former homeless shelter and probably empty in Feb 1996 (maybe with squatters?). Perhaps picking up a hungry and homeless person was as easy as walking out the front door of the club? Do we know where the couple picked up Karen Vergata?
This is info about the
next door building to swingers' club:
"With the rise in homelessness in the 1980s, private hotels, including The Prince George, began accepting contracts from New York City to house homeless families.... In 1989, after years of chaos, families were moved out by court order and the hotel was closed, remaining vacant for nine years.
In 1996, Breaking Ground acquired The Prince George Hotel, and with the help of government agencies and corporate partners, transformed the building into permanent supportive housing for homeless and low-income single adults."
www.princegeorgeballroom.org