Popular Manhattan club Rick's Cabaret will have to pay up $10 million to strippers in unpaid wages and tips, a federal judge ruled on Friday.

According to CBS News, the court ruling comes after many strippers claimed the Cabaret was robbing them of their hard earned cash. After making tons of money on stage and in private dances, strippers who worked at the cabaret in 2005 to 2012 claim most of the money earned was given back to the establishment, the DJ's and other club workers. 1,900 strippers also claimed that they were often left owing more than what they made at the club.

U.S District Judge Paul Engelmayer's ruled in favor of the dancers after they presented evidence of the establishment mislabeling them as independent contractors in efforts to deny them their rightful compensation. Engelmayer initially ruled the dancers were entitled to minimum wage but changed his tune and awarded the dancers $10.8 million on certain claims.

"There is no charter under (state labor law) for an employer to treat a performance fee as either a 'wage' or as an offset to its statutory wage obligations," Englemayer said.

E. Michelle Drake, lawyer to the dancers is pleased with the court's ruling and explained how the Rick's fooled the dancers and their wallets.

"There is a real mythology of the wealthy stripper who has made piles of money," Drake said. "People see all the money that the customers give to the dancers. What they don't see is all the money going back from the entertainer to the club."

The trial isn't over as the dancers are looking to receive more payment for other damages. In total, the women are looking to be rewarded $18 million.

Source: CBS News | Photo Credit: Instagram