The Throggs Neck Merchants Merchants Association recently held a meeting to instruct its members on alcohol awareness.
On Wednesday, September 16, the TNMA, along with Community Board 10, the 45th Precinct, Senator Jeff Klein’s office, the State Liquor Authority and the Department of Environmental Protection, held an Alcohol Awareness Breakfast & Workshop at Villa Barone Manor for licensed vendors in the east Bronx who sell alcohol to the community.
The idea for the breakfast workshop stemmed from an incident that took place on May 30th along East Tremont Avenue, when upwards of at least 1,000 patrons from Nicky’s Beer Garden BBQ, located at 3392 E. Tremont Avenue, which is currently closed for renovations, emptied out onto the street, creating chaos and disruption for the Throggs Neck Merchants Fair, which was taking place at the same time.
Earlier that day, John Cerini, treasurer and past president of the TNMA, and special operations lieutenant Paul Trapani of the 45th Precinct had discussed planning a a workshop that could increase awareness among businesses that dispense alcohol to improve their relationships with their neighbors regarding the behavior of their clients and noise issues, among other instances.
After witnessing the comotion outside of Nick’s Beer Garden BBQ, Cerini and Trapani knew a workshop was needed for neighborhood vendors and businesses.
At the breakfast, TNMA discussed the benefits of being part of the association and how they can assist in making the liquor-license process easier and more efficient for license holders.
In addition, lieutenant Trapani discussed the necessity of businesses cooperating with the community in which these establishments conduct business, including the illegal sale of alcohol to minors.
He also discussed compliance checks, which deters licensed vendors to sell alcohol, as well as the proper utilization of camera and video systems to protect businesses from potential crimes, proving that this workshop was held for the safety of the businesses and the community.
“The businesses and vendors in this community have done a good job abiding and complying to the laws and regulations, and for the most part, there have not been a lot of summons issued,” said Trapani, who has been with the 45th precinct since 2011. “This workshop is not just focused on enforcing and making sure that businesses stay in line by not providing alcohol to minors or after hours, but more to provide education to these businesses, giving them options on how to handle potentially dangerous and unsafe situations.”
Along with the TNMA and the 45th Precinct, the workshop also included information from the State Liquor Authority, which explained the finer points of the license process, expectations and violations, the DEP, who gave a presentation on noise control and sound checks, Fran Maturo from the Throggs Neck Community Action Partnership, who discussed their upcoming workshops, and Dana Carotenuto, executive director of district operations for Senator Klein’s office, talked about the benefit of having of ID scanners. Martin Prince also spoke on behalf of CB 10.
“This workshop was held to discuss the expectations and objectives of licensed vendors as well as to help improve the relationships between them and their neighborhoods,” said Cerini
“CB10 is grateful to the TNMA for continuing the effort on the part of the community board and elected officials in sensitizing the restaurant and bar owning establishments to the needs of creating an environment that benefits the entire community,” said CB10 district manager Ken Kearns.
“Curbing underage drinking and encouraging those who indulge to do so responsibly is critically important as we seek to protect the health and safety of all New Yorkers,” said Senator Jeff Klein. “I’m proud to partner with the Throggs Neck Merchants and I look forward to working together as we continue to educate and inform the local community.”
The breakfast was sponsored by Citi Bank, Capital Shield Agency, Phillips Gourmet Deli and All Time Detection.
