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SLA denies Aces a liquor license but judge grants strip club a stay pending hearing, Gianaris outraged

Mike Gianaris

March 16, 2017 By Hannah Wulkan

Community leaders stepped up their call today for an Astoria strip club to be shut down, following a streak of violent incidents.

State Senator Michael Gianaris is leading the charge to get Aces, a gentlemen’s club at 32-10 37^th Avenue, shut down for good. He is working with authorities to get its liquor licensed revoked, which is the economic engine that keeps these clubs afloat.

Though the State Liquor Authority revoked Aces liquor license on March 9, a judge reinstated the license pending a hearing on April 5.

“We’re here today to say to the court listen to the SLA, listen to the community, listen to the people who live here, and realize that this is a bad neighbor, and is not a business we want in this part of Queens.”

“This club has been the site of numerous violent incidents, numerous crimes, numerous instances that have required police attention over and over again. It’s time to revoke their licenses and make sure that this club is shut down once and for all so that the residents of this neighborhood can sleep in peace and not have to worry about gang activity, drug dealing, all sorts of awful things that have happened here,” Gianaris added.

Over the past year, Aces has seen shootings, arrests and various run ins with the law. In May of last year, there was a gang-related shooting outside of the club, and over the course of 2016 there were 252 “911” calls reporting incidents at Aces.

The club also faced a temporary shutdown last year after it failed to comply with its cabaret license and had other licensing and paperwork issues.

“This business has been a burden to our neighborhood, we receive phone calls every day in our office reporting the activity that goes on here,” said Community Board 1 District Manager Florence Koulouris.

“This club should not be here, it never should have been here, the people in this neighborhood deserve quiet and peace at night, and especially on the weekends which are vicious here. Many assaults, robberies and everything else happen here and this place has to be shut down,” added President of the 114^th Precinct Community Council Ann Bruno.