Albany, NY – The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) today summarily suspended the license of Vapor Lounge & Bar Corporation at 4160 Broadway in Manhattan. The suspension was ordered by Members of the SLA, Chairman Vincent Bradley and Commissioner Greeley Ford at a meeting of the Full Board on Wednesday, August 16th . Effective immediately, no alcohol may be sold or consumed on the premises.
On August 8, 2017, officers from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) were called to Vapor Lounge in response to a large-scale brawl that began inside the bar and spilled out into the street, requiring officers to call in additional units to disperse the crowd. Two victims involved in the melee were robbed and beaten, with one sustaining stab wounds to the chest and arms. Additionally, an NYPD officer responding to the scene was assaulted by a patron directly in front the club. These latest assaults represent just one incident in a series of violent incidents occurring at Vapor Lounge.
On August 1, 2017, a man was slashed with an unknown cutting instrument following a fight inside the premises. On July 21, 2017, a patron was struck with a bottle, sustaining lacerations to his face and a broken nose, while another patron was assaulted in a separate incident. The NYPD’s 38th precinct reports they dedicate a minimum of two patrol cars each night Vapor Lounge is open to cope with large, unruly crowds. In addition, over the last year police report at least twenty-five arrests and over eighty-five complaints within a 500-foot radius of the premises.
On August 14, 2017, the SLA charged Vapor Lounge with sixteen violations, including eight counts of disorderly premises, employing unlicensed bouncers, failure to supervise, and for becoming a focal point for police attention. Previously, on December 28, 2016 Vapor Lounge was fined $9,000 by the SLA for three sales to minors and for failing to conform to their application.
“This licensee has created an incredibly dangerous environment that threatens the safety of their customers, the police, and ultimately the surrounding community as is evidenced by the continuous flow of complaints, arrests, and violence stemming from this location,” said Counsel to the Authority Christopher R. Riano. “The SLA will continue taking swift action against licensees who condone violence, strain police resources, and threaten the safety of their communities.”
The State Administrative Procedure Act authorizes a State agency to summarily suspend a license when the agency finds that public health, safety, or welfare requires emergency action. When the SLA summarily suspends a license, it also serves a Notice of Pleading alleging one or more disciplinary violations. In invoking a summary suspension, the SLA has deemed the violation to be sufficiently serious upon initial review to warrant an immediate suspension. The SLA’s decision to summarily suspend a license is not a final determination on the merits of the case. The licensee is entitled to an expedited administrative law hearing before an Administrative Law Judge. An order of summary suspension remains in effect until such time as it is modified by the SLA or a reviewing Court.
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