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Bronx booty bar bemoans liquor license loss
NOTORIOUS BRONX strip club Sin City has finally been barred from serving liquor — and in a desperate effort to keep the party going the nightspot has launched a petition saying it deserves support for employing black and Hispanic strippers.
The State Liquor Authority revoked the club’s liquor license in May over a range of violations. Last summer, nine strippers and bouncers were arrested for dealing drugs out of the club. The liquor authority also found at least 18 code violations in a subsequent inspection.
The state has charged the club’s mouthpiece, Konstantine (Gus) Drakopoulos, with “availing” — running the business and profiting from it without having his name on the liquor license.
Drakopoulos couldn’t be on the license because he has a 2002 stock fraud conviction on his record.
In their online petition, posted July 6, the club urged employees and patrons to bombard government with pleas for its survival.
“We wonder why this does not happen downtown? Why are strip clubs a target? Especially urban clubs, effecting (sic) minority employees,” the petition says.
“Make your voices heard so we won’t be a pinata called Sin City, that we too are good people, working hard to support ourselves and families and for a better tomorrow.”
The missive claims corrupt elected officials and developers are behind the effort to shut it down, and attacks the nuisance abatement law.
“Studies showed that most of nuisance abatement done over the years, targeted mostly minority neighborhoods, in Hispanic and black establishments, that yielded very small results,” it says.
“This is typical playing the victim and blaming everyone else,” a former club employee said of the online petition. “Gus conveniently left out the fact that the license was taken for availing, which he was doing for many years.”
The club posted a handscrawled sign on the outside Thursday which asked people to “please stay in touch.”
When a reporter visited the club, it appeared abandoned, and the door was unlocked. A man came and abruptly locked the door. A patron showed up and appeared surprised the club was closed.
“I had no idea they were closed. They didn’t put it on their website or nothing,” he said.
Drakopoulos showed up and said, “Who are you?”
When told the reporter was from the Daily News, he said “You would know more than I do.”
A News investigation into the champagne-and-glitter-soaked club on Park Ave. near E. 138th St. in February detailed past shootings, stabbings, drug sales, gang activity, fights, allegations of prostitution and sexual harassment lawsuits at the club.
The jiggle joint’s liquor license was revoked after that, and the hot spot’s lawyers filed an appeal in state Supreme Court in Manhattan. A judge granted a stay, which allowed the club to keep serving liquor.
The state won an appellate court appeal on June 29. The club then took their case to the state’s highest court, which ruled in the liquor authority’s favor on Thursday.