Video: Gennaro’s 5 North Square all-alcohol license presentation at the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council meeting held on January 14, 2013 at the Nazzaro Center.
Gennaro’s 5 North Square owner Gerald Riccio, represented by Attorney Daniel Toscano, presented a new all-alcohol license application to the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) on Monday, January 14, 2013.
The new all-alcohol beverage license would replace an existing beer and wine license in use by the owner at that location since 2008. Licensed hours of operations would stay the same, 11:00 am to 1:00 am, 7 days a week.
Attorney Toscano said the restaurant’s clientele has changed from casual to a more formal, higher-end customer that is asking for mixed drinks. Mr. Riccio currently holds three other all-alcohol licenses in the North End including the Florentine, Cafe Vittoria, Stanza dei Sigari.
A hearing was held on this application at the Boston Licensing Board last week where the applicant was told there are currently no licenses available. Attorney Toscano explained that having a current application at the board will give the owner a better chance if one becomes available on short notice. Licenses often become available in the beginning of the calendar year when not renewed by existing proprietors.
NEWNC members discussed a possible proviso of serving food with alcohol, but decided not to include this constraint. One councilor also asked about a previously agreed service-only bar that has transitioned into functional one with five seats.
In a vote of 8-1, NEWNC voted to support the application for the new all-alcohol license. (NEWNC member Gennaro Riccio, the applicant’s son, recused himself from the council for this vote.)
Again…you see one video where the police (who oppose these all alcohol licenses), tells us about noise issues which are obviously related to drunks and then the same council swiftly approved yet another full alcohol license. And there are many towns around Boston that require food be served w/ drinks. I’ve been at several.
All of these noise issues are related to alcohol consumption….how can the board not see that and how agreeing to all of the changes effect the North End negatively? What’s the limit? I would not even bring these to votes until these licenses become available so the neighborhood can keep a better track of them. No one even knows who has what at this point…or what’s available and when.
The restaurants are very much part of the problem. To say otherwise is ludicrous.
John, you are so right, and what is even worse is that
these people who are applying for more liquor licenses
already have 3 full liquor licenses.
I think the biggest conflict of interest is to have anyone
who is a City Employee or Restaurant Owner on these
committees.
The Greed starts with the City of Boston, they tax
these restaurants & bars 6.25 percent on each check and
raised real estate taxes on certain people, not the entire
neighborhood. I think it is a plus that we have such a
prosperous neighborhood, but NEVER at the expense
of the residents.
There is a happy medium, the restaurants can make the
money & the residents can live in peace, but the Boston
Police have to give out fines, not warnings to anyone
who is disturbing the peace, whether it be in an apt. bldg.
or on the streets.
If you were a City of Boston Employee or a Restaurant
Owner and you were on a Neighborhood Committee
you would want to give out more licenses because both
the City Employees & the Restaurant Owners Benefit
Big Time. I believe strength is in numbers, the No. End
has 2 committees, did you ever ask yourself why these
committees have not joined forces? Think about it.
Most of the Restaurant Owners live out of the No. End,
and those that do live in the No. End either live in
secluded areas or rooftop apts., and they are not affected
by the noise like we are, and for that matter neither is
the Mayor.
We are not dealing with totally honest people. Years ago
John they followed a Middlesex County Judge and she
was not in the Court House that day, they caught her
shopping, and it was all over the news & in newspapers.
If they ever followed some of these City Employees
around it would be a Best Seller. Where there is a will,
there is a way. We must never give up, our homes are
worth the fight, and God works in mysterious ways,
you’ll see.
the problem is not with north end restaurants serving alcohol! first, most of these restaurants close early (once tourists to bed, so do the restaurants) and second, the problem people in this area are not getting soused at these establishments because (1) they are overpriced, (2) they close early, and (3) they are no fun!!! the real culprit is the faneuil bars because they attract a loud, rowdy, immature people – many of which are from outside of the city that have no regard for us or much of anything.
We have bars that stay open until 2 a.m. and we also
have Bova’s Bakery that is 24 hrs. and the Pompeii
which is open to serve food until 4 a.m.
I don’t care how cheap you think it is to drink down
Faneuil Hall, they are still in our establishments
drinking.
You don’t know the half of it, they have never informed
you of the fights & madness that has taken place in
some of these bars after 1 or 2 in the morning.
I know for a fact how they kicked in an office door of
an establishment to get at a neighborhood kid and
kicked his teeth out, but neither the Police or the
City Officials informed you about that. Why? I will tell
you why, the Mayor wants this neighborhood to look
safe so the money keeps on coming in. Remember 6.25%
on each check. The Big Profit is Liquor, not Food.
You don’t have to believe me, try interviewing some of
the residents that live in and around Hanover St. and
the Residents that live off of Hanover St.
Boston got picked 2 years in a row for the drunkest city
in the U.S. and do you see anyone trying to do anything
about? Absolutely NOT. The Police are not going to
tell you what is really going on in the Neighborhood and
you can thank the Mayor for that. The No. End is nothing
but a Cash Cow to the City Of Boston.
Years ago the Mayor of Washington, D.C. got caught with
a Prostitute & Cocaine in a Hotel Room and guess what
the people voted him in another term. I wonder why?
We have some great restaurants in the North End, but
don’t ever think there hasn’t been any problems in these
No. End establishments, they just did a good job in
covering it up. These Restaurant Owners are not
affected like most of the Residents, most of them don’t
live here and the others who do live here are not affected
because of the locations they live in the No. End.
If an undercover Media person came down here during
the hours of 1 – 3 A.M. on Fri. & Sat. nites they could
have a field day.