Politics & Government

Samy's Bar Wants State to Overturn City's Decision to Revoke Permits

The Joliet bar appealed the city's decision to revoke its extra hour and live music permits based on code violations, asking the Illinois Liquor Control Commission to overturn the ruling.

The owner of Samy's Party Bar wants the Illinois Liquor Control Commission to restore its permits for live music and extra hour of business, saying the city's penalty for its safety code violations was too harsh and inconsistent.

The Joliet bar lost its privileges in October after pleading guilty to or being found guilty of at least five different violations, including charges that the police were not notified of fights and one instance in which 472 people were packed into a building meant to hold 200 -- and had a padlock on one of its two exits.

Samy's owner Aspasia Andrew Tinsman appealed the city's ruling last week at a hearing in Chicago, claiming city Liquor Commissioner Tom Giarrante -- also the mayor of Joliet -- issued a punishment that was more severe than deserved and that the city is inconsistent in the punishments it hands out in general. Samy's is located at 3151 Voyager, near the Louis Joliet Mall.

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Her attorney also laid blame at the feet of Tinsman's former partner, who is now no longer part of the business. Tinsman has been ill, on and off, for the last few years and many of the infractions allegedly occurred when she was out of commission. She is now the sole owner.

Deputy Liquor Commission Jim Murphy balked at the assertions, saying Samy's has "one of the worst records of violations in recent history."

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And Deputy Corporation Counsel John Wise, who defended the city at last week's hearing, said Giarrante and the liquor commission gave Samy's many opportunities to reverse their problems by issuing warnings and gradually increasing the penalties for every new infraction.

Initially, the bar owners were fined, and then fined and forced to close for a few days, before having their special privileges revoked by the fifth violation -- Wise said.

They would have been justified in pulling their liquor license completely based on the problems they had, Wise said.

"(But) the mayor does not want any business closed, and they are not closed," he said.

He added that regardless of Tinsman's health, her name was on the license and she was co-owner of the business at the time the violations were occurring.

Murphy added that since the extra hour permit, which allowed them to stay open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and the live entertainment permit were revoked, there have been no problems.

The state liquor commission has taken the appeal under consideration and is to issue a verbal decision at its April 11 meeting, followed by a written decision shortly thereafter, commission spokeswoman Sue Hofer said.

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