SECAUCUS – Friday night at around 7:45 p.m. officers from the Secaucus Police Department shut down what they alleged was an illegal club on Meadowlands Parkway, according to town officials.
About 200 would-be patrons stood outside the old Channel 41 building on Meadowlands Parkway waiting for a comedy show that was scheduled to begin later in the evening, an official said.
“The building owner tried to get [state and local approvals] for this to be a club, but she was denied,” said Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli. The owner, the mayor added, does not have a liquor license.
However, when cops entered the building, they discovered a bar, officials said. A buffet had also been set up for the event.
About 600 tickets were sold for what was billed as a comedy show featuring Earthquake, a popular comedian, Gonnelli said.
“People had bought tickets through TicketWeb, and they were expected as many as 800 people,” he added.
No arrests were made and the 200 or so patrons who arrived early left peacefully, according to the mayor.
Town officials were alerted to the show after a resident drove past the building and noticed a marquee outside advertising the event. This resident then called Gonnelli, who alerted the Police Department. – E. Assata Wright