Carltun event venue to auction off hundreds of items Sept. 28

From pots and pans to Swarovski crystal chandeliers, every fixture and piece of furniture at The Carltun at Eisenhower Park will be up for auction at the end of the month as the storied Long Island event venue prepares to close its doors for good.

The venue, which has hosted weddings, fundraisers, and even two presidents over its nearly 30 years in business, will be the site of a large auction on Sept. 28. All furniture, fixtures and art pieces will be for sale at the event, which starts at noon.

American Auctions, Liquidations, Appraisals Inc., the auction house running the event, said on its website that “all must be sold to the bare walls.”

Items that will be up for bid include Murano glass chandeliers, commercial grade convection ovens, framed oil paintings, marble top tables, antique mirrors, a baby grand piano and the ceiling murals of flying monkeys from the venue’s Palm Court restaurant.

Anthony A. Capetola, operator of The Carltun, opted not to renew his longtime operating license for the 85,000-square-foot East Meadow property, which is owned by Nassau County.

A la carte service has already stopped in the restaurant, and Capetola has said only private events will continue through the rest of the month. The venue’s website is down as well.

In October, the property will be taken over by a group of new operators who include Bobby and Elias Trahanas, who also own the Golden Reef Diner in Rockville Centre and run food concessions in Jones Beach and Robert Moses state parks.

The new operators did not respond to requests for comment.

Capetola said when he and then partner John Tunney took over The Carltun in 1995, the property was in disarray.

“Nothing worked in the building,” said Capetola, a Williston Park attorney. “There was nothing in the building that we could keep. What’s there now is emblematic of our commitment to make it a first-class operation.”

Renovations at the property included the buildout of a restaurant on the main floor and an upstairs cigar club, in addition to several banquet rooms. Capetola and Tunney, at the time, estimated that the renovations cost $6 million.

Wine cellar

The property's wine cellar held thousands of bottles, many of which were rare. Capetola, an avid wine collector, said earlier this summer that some of the rare vintages were being sold privately.

Capetola said he invites Islanders  who have fond memories connected to the property to come to the auction “and bid on some special item that they find interesting.”

Gerard Trimboli, president of Commack-based American Auctions, Liquidations, Appraisals Inc., said there will be between 300 to 400 items up for bid, with starting bids ranging from a few dollars to thousands.

“This is a historic landmark restaurant,” Trimboli said. Given the venue’s name recognition among many Islanders, he anticipates around 100 attendees for the event. “People will want to own a piece of the history.”

“There are three full kitchens fully equipped with well-branded kitchen equipment, there are murals. There are items for people’s homes, there are items for people in the hotel business,” he said. “Something really for everybody.”

Since it’s opening, The Carltun has served as the venue for political fundraisers and gatherings. Former presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton both attended events there, as did the late former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

The venue has also served as the location for film shoots, including the wedding scene in “28 Days,” with Sandra Bullock.

Registration for the auction is free but required for attendees. From 10 a.m. to noon, potential bidders will have the opportunity to inspect the items for sale.

For more information and a full list of items up for auction, visit bit.ly/3cYxTAY or call (800) 837-0447.