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| Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, Community Board 2 Chairman Joseph Conley and concerned neighbors rally together in front of the Casa Romana Bar to demand its closure. |
On Thursday, September 2nd Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, Assembly Member Cathy Nolan, Community Board 2 Chairman Joseph Conley and concerned neighbors rallied together in front of the Casa Romana Bar in Sunnyside, Queens to demand its closure.
The bar was the site of a bloody brawl this past weekend, after a “Teen Night” hosted by the establishment went awry resulting in the stabbings of two minors and a total of 14 arrests, including the owners. Of those arrested 12 of the 14 were minors between the ages of 16-20. The location has had a long history of multiple violations, several of which occurred in 2009. The bar has also been cited for serving alcohol to minors.
The melee at Casa Romana took place less than 24 hours from the tragic demise of Nicole John, the 17-year-old daughter of the American Ambassador to Thailand who died last weekend after a night of underage drinking at a club followed by an after party at an apartment where she fell 25 floors to her death.
In light of the recent headlines regarding the underage admittance to clubs and underage drinking, Council Member Van Bramer, Assembly Member Nolan and CB2 Chairman Conley joined forces to call on the NYPD to increase inspections of clubs and bars to hold these establishments accountable for their negligence and deter acts of violence like what we have seen at Casa Romana.
Currently, Council Member Van Bramer is drafting legislation to help address this major issue of public safety.
“This rogue club is a major safety problem for local residents and children citywide,” said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. “Any location that condones underage drinking should be held accountable – the safety of our children is at great risk if these establishments don’t face the proper consequences for their negligence.”
“With the recent incidents at this establishment, it is time that we crack down on violence and under age drinking at this and other establishments,” said Assembly Member Catherine Nolan. “Casa Romana has a history of violations and should not be allowed to keep its doors open any longer. As our community grows, it’s important that we make sure that our residents are safe and businesses are operating according to law.
“Today we are calling for Casa Romana to be closed and pad locked,” said Community Board 2 Chairman Joe Conley. “The owners of this business have placed teenage lives in jeopardy just to make a dollar. Places like this, promoting "teen nights" are a haven for trouble – Casa Romana must be shutdown before a life is lost.”
