ICYMI: Wantagh Bar Owner Reaches Agreement With Liquor Authority

WANTAGH, NY — Drinks are being poured again inside the Vintage Sports Bar and Lounge in Wantagh after the owner reached an agreement with the New York State Liquor Authority to pay $40,000 and adhere to COVID-19 restrictions.

Owner Mike Peranio, whose mother died from COVID-19, said he will continue to stay on top of the state's restrictions and he plans to hire security to patrol the parking lot outside to enforce those restrictions so that it will be clear to patrons that they will not be allowed inside without a mask and that they have to wear it unless seated at a table.

"Now, I have a second chance at opening back up and I am going to do things differently," he said.

The business, which is located on Merrick Road and was popular with locals, offering Happy Hour, Ladies Night, and Latin Fridays, had its liquor license yanked in September after the Nassau County Police Department found 98 people packed inside, according to the state. The occupancy level was more than double that allowed —4o patrons — under COVID-19 restrictions, and the premises was overcrowded to the point where social distancing was not possible with numerous patrons dancing, standing and mingling without facial coverings, according to the state.
The SLA Board voted unanimously on Sept. 26 to suspend the bar's liquor license, but on Dec. 22, the bar's licensee submitted an offer to settle the charges for $40,000 and agreed to strictly adhere to Covid-related regulations, according to the state. The SLA Board voted to accept the offer on Jan. 6 and the licensee paid the civil penalty, the suspension was rescinded, and the license was reinstated.

"Our goal is to protect public health, not impose penalties or suspend licenses, and in an ideal world we would not issue a single violation because every bar and restaurant would comply with the state's public health rules," stated SLA spokesman William Crowley in an email.

Peranio disputed the SLA's findings saying that he and his staff were adhering to the restrictions and that the headcount was not properly conducted and did not account for the patrons who were seated, but stood up without masks on to see what was going on when police arrived. Much of the trouble stemmed from a large amount of people who were standing outside waiting to get in, Peranio said. He said the dancing patrons referred to in the violation was only two people who were dancing together.

"I think that I was made an example of," he said, noting that he was aware that many bars and restaurants in the hospitality industry were not adhering to COVID-19 capacity and social-distancing restrictions over the summer.

The way Perani sees it, he adhered to the rules, shuttering his business for three months, taking jobs away from his staff, and his business finances suffered. Other business' have not been adhering to the restrictions, he said, adding, "They are standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the bar."

At the time of the Vintage Sports Bar and Lounge's inspection, there were two pending cases with the SLA for violations on three different days over July and there was an additional noise violation charge from March for failing to supervise based on a referral from the police about excessive noise reports, according to the state.

Peranio said the noise violation charge stems from music emanating from the back door of the bar which is near a residential area. He says that he was written up for petty issues such as for not having a mask on as the owner of the bar and for having wooden pool sticks inside the bar. Peranio said he enforced the mask regulation but found that it was difficult to enforce because patrons would remove their masks right after complying.

"I did my 100 % very best," he said.