Owner, more than a dozen bartenders, managers arrested in underage drinking sting at Island Park bar, cops say
Warehouse 5, at 52 Waterfront Blvd. in Island Park, is seen in an undated Google Maps image. Nassau County police on Wednesday, July 29, 2015, said they arrested the bar owner, John Vitale of Atlantic Beach, and 15 employees during an undercover sting aimed at cracking down on underage drinking. Credit: Google Maps
An undercover operation aimed at cracking down on underage drinking led to the arrest early Wednesday of more than a dozen bartenders and managers, as well as the owner, at the Island Park bar Warehouse 5, Nassau police said.
The arrests followed "a license premises check" by Bureau of Special Operations officers at the club on Waterfront Boulevard.
Police said underage undercover operatives were sent into the bar to see if they were served alcohol. Police said they were.
Police estimated more than 500 customers were in the club at the time of the arrests. When contacted, owner John Vitale, 61, of Atlantic Beach, responded to the bar and surrendered.
Vitale was charged with three counts of improper posting of a liquor license, prohibited sale of an alcoholic beverage, unlawful dealing with a child, disorderly licensed premises and three counts of failure to maintain books.
He received appearance tickets returnable to First District Court in Hempstead on Aug. 12, police said.
Also cited were 15 employees. All were charged with prohibited sale of an alcoholic beverage and unlawful dealing with a child. Police identified them as: Anthony Vitale, 22, of East Norwich; Adam Adrohner, 29, of Bellmore; Anthony M. Deluca, 23, of Levittown; Haley Lee, 19, of Shirley; Jessica Clemente, 21, of Lynbrook; Lisa Santoro, 23, of East Meadow; Katlyn M. Sellars, 18, of Islip; Melanie Arndt, 20, of Williston Park; Joanne Larocca, 60, of Merrick; Danielle N. Grande, 19, of Massapequa; Matthew McBride, 46, of Baldwin Harbor; Tyler Frusco, 20, of Lindenhurst; Robert Ryan, 21, of Hempstead; Michael Schlossman, 46, of Farmingdale, and Jonathan W. Alvarez, 23, of Elmont.
Police identified Schlossman as the club manager and said McBride is a manager. It was not immediately clear if any of those arrested were represented by legal counsel.
A phone message left at the bar was not immediately returned.
With Joan Gralla
John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”
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