93 Lounge closed for good

Save us the last dance.

The State Liquor Authority voted unanimously to revoke the on-premises liquor license for 93 Lounge, officially shutting the notorious nightclub down for good.

Councilmember Vincent Gentile and Community Board 10 District Manager Josephine Beckmann attended a hearing on Tuesday, August 13, where commissioners accepted the recommendation of an administrative law judge that the watering hole be shuttered.

93 Lounge was the site of a horrific New Year’s Day crash, where two intoxicated patrons allegedly mowed over several people, injuring four and damaging eight parked cars.

Neither the owners of the club nor their attorney were present at the hearing, said Gentile.

“Back in January, I vowed to shut down this establishment for good and bring some peace back to the neighbors and residents who live nearby and today we’ve made that happen,” Gentile said. “Josephine Beckmann and I never gave up on this case. I thank the New York State Liquor Authority Commissioner Jeanique Greene and Chairman Dennis Rosen for doing the right thing, diligently reviewing the facts presented before them and hearing our case.

“I also again must thank the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board and the 68th Precinct who conducted a multi-agency effort at 93 Lounge back in April,” he went on.  “Today we are sending a very simple message. We will not stand by as residents are held hostage by businesses or people with no regard for the law. We are all partners in keeping our community safe and maintaining the quality of life that’s made Bay Ridge the best place in Brooklyn to raise a family. Unfortunately, 93 Lounge did not fit into that simple equation and today they are no longer.”

Beckmann noted that residents have flooded community board meetings, complaining of ongoing problems with noise. The owner of 93 Lounge, Ronald Coury, was arrested by 68th Precinct police in late April for failure to pay worker’s compensation. The building also has had no certificate of occupancy for years.

“I am delighted on behalf of the board,” Beckmann said. “The owner could not control what was happening at the club and what happened on New Year’s Eve was horrible. It’s great news for the residents of that block. This is so wonderful.”

The customers who reportedly caused the New Year’s Eve chaos, Charles Amad and Andrea Jobity, were late for their court appearance last week.

Amad was charged with three counts of attempted murder in the second degree, four counts of assault in the first degree, vehicular assault in the first degree and driving while intoxicated (DWI). Jobity is charged with driving while intoxicated as a Class-E felony, since she was previously convicted of DWI.
Their next court appearance is scheduled for September 26.

Coury declined to speak to this newspaper when reached, hanging up the phone when asked about his club’s closure.

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