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Council candidate says she did not know of manager's record
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A former police officer running for Youngstown council said she would not have had a fundraiser at a South Avenue club if she’d known that one of the people working there is a convicted felon.
Additionally, The Progressive Club, 2208 South Ave., was raided about 1:20 a.m. April 4, hours after Anita Davis had the fundraiser there.
One of the people cited, who reports said works there, is William Gowdy, 55, of East Philadelphia Avenue.
He had served a prison term on drug and weapons charges in 1991 after murder charges against him were dropped.
Davis, who retired in May 2014 from the police force after serving 35 years as an officer and is running in the Democratic primary for a seat on council for the Sixth Ward, said she booked the fundraiser at the Progressive because of Gowdy’s sister, who works there and was a friend in high school.
But Davis said she did not know of the criminal record of her friend’s brother, and had she known, she would not have had her fundraiser there.
“Look at my police record,” said Davis, who retired as a detective sergeant and supervisor. “I don’t work with criminals.”
Members of the vice squad raided the club after receiving information that the club failed to transfer its liquor permit from its North Forest Avenue location.
Gowdy, who told police he was the manager, was cited for being in violation of the department’s private club ordinance because there was no liquor license.
A bartender, Shelimar Taylor, 49, of Bennington Avenue, was cited for serving alcohol without a proper permit.
A spokesman for the state Liquor Control Board said the club renewed the permit in January but never applied to transfer it from its previous location.
Although Gowdy called himself the manager in police reports, his name is not on the permit, the spokesman said.