The City’s Licensing Commission may want to reconsider whether its public hearings should be restricted to adults only.
During its Thursday, May 2 meeting, commissioners imposed a 10-week suspension of the liquor license for Latinos Falcons, located at 185 Broadway. The action followed police presentation of video footage documenting patrons and staff engaged in groping, grabbing, grinding, and provocative dancing throughout the establishment.
The bar faced the hearing after authorities placed a patron in protective custody for public intoxication stemming from consumption at the venue.
The restaurant’s legal counsel made an argument before the video screening began.
According to the attorney, certain physical displays visible in the footage reflected customs common to the bar’s predominantly “Latino
culture.” clientele. The counsel also highlighted recent staff training initiatives designed to prevent such conduct going forward.
Commission member Gladys Vega rejected this explanation outright as the video concluded with footage of a security guard inhaling a waitress’s hair. Despite struggling with laryngitis, Vega expressed visible fury. “This has nothing to do
with Latino culture,” she declared. “You should be ashamed. That is so disrespectful to say what you do
about my culture.”
City Councillor-At-Large Roy Avellaneda characterized the behavior as an ongoing pattern, even though City Solicitor Cheryl Watson Fisher confirmed the bar had received no prior formal citations. The video documented only a single evening at Latinos Falcons.
“I’ve been told about
these allegations for a while now, and in 2014 and 2015 I witnessed them
myself, this is nothing new,” Avellaneda stated. “Unfortunately, this (behavior)
is prevalent in a few bars in Chelsea and we’ve heard complaints from former
waitresses, especially at this place.” He advocated for the commission to impose severe consequences that would signal disapproval to Latinos Falcons and comparable establishments citywide.
“This was only one night,
you can imagine what else happens,” Avellaneda added, emphasizing that owners, waitresses, and customers all participated in the inappropriate behavior.
City Council President Damali Vidot initially attended the previous week’s hearing intending to advocate for the local business.
“But if this is the way
you do business, I have a huge problem with the way you treat women and them
being objectified in this video,” Vidot explained. “This video is very disturbing.”
Kimberly Martinez, a Salem State University student employed at Latinos Falcons for six months, offered a different perspective. She testified that management never pressured her to engage in sexual conduct or customer flirtation as a revenue strategy. According to Martinez, problematic behavior originated primarily from certain patrons.
“We are trying to filter
that as best we can,” she stated. “I feel like we are moving forward and things
are changing.”
The commissioners remained unmoved by her testimony.
Commission member James Guido pointed to the additional concern that waitresses were observed consuming alcohol alongside customers, demanding significant penalties as a result.
“For me, this is so
disturbing and troubling,” Commission Chair Mark Rossi declared. “How anyone could
allow that in their establishment, with the owner taking part, is so out of
line … How can that environment be conducive to reporting sexual harassment?”
Rossi typically moderates the harsher proposals from fellow commissioners, yet in this instance he supported the most severe option available for Latinos Falcons.
“I will shut you down
right now, this is so repugnant,” he stated.
Guido’s initial motion sought a 30-day suspension but failed to achieve approval. The commission unanimously approved the 10-week suspension instead, coupled with revised operating hours—changing from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. to 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
In additional matters, the commission postponed a public hearing regarding a manager change at Los Agaves, 950 Broadway. Ongoing probate court proceedings concern the restaurant’s ownership.
The commissioners requested that all current owners collaborate to identify a manager mutually acceptable to all parties while the ownership dispute continues through the court system.
The commission also approved revised licensing rules and regulations establishing stricter requirements for bar and restaurant security personnel. Security staff must now wear clearly marked red shirts, carry city-issued identification, and refrain from carrying items that could function as weapons.