Two months ago, Guttenberg Mayor David Delle Donna, who also heads the town’s Alcohol Beverage Council Board, had a meeting with all the local tavern owners to discuss residents’ concerns involving the violence that occurs at some establishments in the early morning hours.
“One of the items that came up during that meeting was the violence that goes on in the taverns,” Delle Donna said. “I told them that the violence in the bars had to be stopped. I can’t stand by and watch the things that were going on. It was a major concern and it was addressed.”
Apparently, those concerns were ignored, because violent incidents allegedly ensued at three bars within the last month.
Last Monday night, Delle Donna and the ABC Board penalized several taverns, issuing substantial suspensions of their liquor licenses and forcing them close for over a month.
The stiffest penalty was levied against La Carneta, located at 6912 Bergenline Ave., which was handed a 90-day license suspension. According to a police report, there was a stabbing at the establishment last month, when someone walked in, stabbed a patron, and left.
“However, this was La Carneta’s third offense in the last two years,” Delle Donna said. “We basically wanted to revoke their license permanently, but the state ABC said that you need four offenses to revoke. So we recommended the 90-day suspension, beginning June 1. We felt that this was a serious problem and had to do something.”
Owners and representatives of La Carneta did not return phone calls by press time.
The second establishment to receive a suspension was Cosmos 2000 on Jackson Street, which had also had its share of conflict with the law in the past, according to Delle Donna. Delle Donna said that last month, a bouncer at the popular bar/dance club got into a fight with one of the patrons that caused the police to arrive at the scene. He said this was the second incident at the bar in the last two years.
“Although there were no arrests, we still believed this scenario to be serious,” Delle Donna said. “Our reports were that the patron was talked out of filing charges. The patron actually gave a police report, then changed his mind.”
Still, because of Cosmos 2000’s problems, the ABC Board, which is comprised of Delle Donna and the Town Council as Guttenberg has a population of under 15,000, decided to levy a 42-day suspension to Cosmos 2000 and its owner, Justo Tovar.
“Because it was their second offense, they could have received 60 days,” Delle Donna said. “But Mr. Tovar agreed not to appeal the decision. If they agree to plead guilty and not appeal, then there’s usually a 20 percent reduction. He agreed not to appeal, so we made it 42 consecutive days, beginning May 24.”
While Tovar appealed other ABC rulings in the past, he decided to accept the decision this time.
“I just want this to be over with,” Tovar said last week. “I want to run a good business. I don’t want to cause trouble or have trouble at my place. I understand what they’re [the town] is doing and what they want to do.”
The third establishment in question is Puerto Del Sur, located at 6714 Bergenline Ave. Last month, according to a police report, there was a brawl there between a bouncer and a patron, marking the second offense of a brawl on the premises.
Since this was a second offense at that establishment, the ABC Board recommended a 45-day suspension.
Repeated phone calls to Puerto Del Sur were not returned by press time.
“Since we took office two years ago, we promised the voters that we would crack down on the problems in the taverns,” Delle Donna said. “The ABC Board was basically dormant before we took office. We’re making sure that the message is being sent. We’re sending a message that the violence in the taverns will not be tolerated. If they appeal to the state and there’s just a monetary fine, then it’s not that big of a deal. But when you close an establishment for three months, like in this one case, it sends a different message.”
Delle Donna has been meeting with the tavern owners to discuss the possibility of either closing at 2 a.m. instead of 3 a.m., or to have the tavern owners pay a special assessment that will enable the town to have a police patrol on duty from midnight to 4 a.m. to solely to keep watch on the taverns.
“They seem to be leaning in that favor as opposed to the early closing,” Delle Donna said. “We’ll have to see if that works.”
Delle Donna said that he has no problem revoking liquor licenses, which is what will happen if there is one more incident at La Carneta.
“I want to see businesses thrive in town,” Delle Donna said. “But not at the expense of the residents.”