Cops bust ‘speakeasy’ in the Bronx

Speakeasies are making something of a coronavirus comeback.

A mother and son were busted in the basement of a Bronx restaurant Friday night when cops found about twodozen people partying in an underground bottle club, police and a restaurant employee said.

It was at least the second time cops have accused a restaurant of violating coronavirus social distancing rules. A Queens restaurant lost its liquor license last month after cops found it let dozens of customers in through an alley door.

In the most recent case, cops showed up to Hollywood Delights restaurant on White Plains Road near E. 227th St. in the Bronx at about 7 p.m. Friday. Dionne Warren, 49, and her son Oshea Bryan, 23, tried to bar the uniformed officers from entering the restaurant, police said.

The pair, who own the Wakefield restaurant, were arrested for violating local law, operating an unlicensed bottle club and obstructing government administration.

The owners were given a desk appearance ticket and released from custody. A third person in attendance was given a summons for obstructing government administration.

A man who answered the phone at Hollywood Delights told the Daily News the only people in the restaurant were employees.

“They said it was a club but it is just storage and an employee lounge. They tossed all the employees outside.”

Staff at Hollywood Delights believe a rival restaurant on the block may have tipped off cops.

“It (the rivalry) has been going on for a long time, I don’t know why,” he said. “Maybe it’s competition.”

The NYPD checks whether restaurants and other businesses violate coronavirus rules — and so far has found most businesses obey the restrictions.

Between 8 a.m. Friday and 8 a.m. Saturday, officers visited 14,088 bars, restaurants, grocery stores, personal care businesses like nail salons and barber shops, and other public places. The checks yielded two arrests and 17 summonses.