Go Go: No No to bar’s closing

By Elise Franco

Austintown officials have targeted the cabaret for months, the manager says.

AUSTINTOWN — Owners of the Go Go Cabaret want to take their case to federal court.

Sebastian Rucci, manager of the club, said an emergency motion was filed Tuesday, asking a federal judge to allow the business to reopen until a hearing is conducted.

“We’re hopeful for the injunction to be undone at this time,” he said. “We’ll go through with our hearing in a few weeks.”

Rucci said he believes the Go Go has been unfairly targeted for months — retaliation by the township for issues with signage and lighting.

The Clarkins Drive club was shut down Friday night after Austintown police, along with civil division of the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s office, Youngstown office of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Task Force, Ohio Department of Public Safety’s investigative unit (liquor control) and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, conducted a raid, arresting five individuals on charges ranging from theft to drug trafficking.

“Any and all employees involved in the drug sales have been fired and permanently banned from the club,” Rucci said.

“At present, there are over 50 people who are out of work due to the conduct of one bad apple,” he added.

Lisa Oles, township trustee chairwoman, said she disagrees with Rucci’s statement that the township is out to get the cabaret.

“We consistently receive complaints regarding different activities that are going on there,” she said. “We have documentation that we’ve saved and presented in court.”

Oles said after speaking with Police Chief Robert Gavalier and township Administrator Mike Dockry that shutting the cabaret down was not unreasonable.

“There was justifiable reason for the club to be closed, and it’s been an ongoing problem for the township,” she said. “We like to promote business in the township, but not at the expense of our residents’ well-being.”

Gavalier said charges are pending against two others who were found with drugs inside the club Friday, and it’s not certain when those charges will be filed.

Stephanie A. McCourt, 20, of Canfield, is charged with obstructing official business.

Derrick L. Dozier, 26, of Struthers, was arrested on a theft warrant from Liberty police.

Shannon E. Graves, 20, of Struthers, was arrested on a warrant charging trafficking in crack; William A. Watt, 25, of Girard, was picked up on a warrant alleging trafficking in cocaine and heroin; and Stephanie M. Yash, 24, of Girard, was arrest on a warrant for trafficking in heroin and crack.

The Economy Inn also falls under the temporary restraining order as there is access to the hotel from the club, Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul Gains said.

As for the latest filing, Gains said he is confident the case will remain with the county. Gains said the motion to move the case to federal court was filed by Atty. Martin Yavorcik.

“He can file whatever he wants, and we’ll respond in kind,” he said. “We’re confident that the judge is going to deny that motion. We’ve already filed a response, and I think it’s going to stay here.”

Gains said he doesn’t know when a ruling will be made, but he wouldn’t be surprised to hear something soon.

“Federal courts tend to move fairly quickly,” he said.

Gains said the township and prosecutor’s office have no objections to the cabaret operating in Austintown, as long as it’s done properly.

“If you want to have a strip joint that’s fine, but do it properly,” he said. “There are other strip joints that stay within the confines of law.”

Rucci said he doesn’t understand why the Go Go has been targeted so frequently, and this shutdown has put management at the end of its rope.

“A lot of this is all tied together to try to put us out of business,” he said. “It feels like we’ve been hit with a ton of bricks from this end, dealing with it in this fashion.”

efranco@vindy.com