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TRENTON
- Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control Director
Jerry Fischer announced that a 42” flat
screen television, $18,000, narcotics, and
untaxed cigarettes were confiscated on Tuesday
night (Jan. 27) as a result of investigations
into a bar and a nightclub in Bergen County.
Detectives
entered Pip's Tavern, 226 MacArthur Ave, Garfield,
where they observed that the establishment
was advertising a raffle to win a 42"
flat screen television. In addition, Bureau
personnel discovered a Super Bowl box pool
being run at the establishment. Both the raffle
and football pool are defined as gambling
and are not permitted to take place in ABC
licensed establishments. Raffles are only
permitted in those establishments with club
licenses with the proper permits obtained
from the Legalized Games of Chance Commission.
The television and nearly $10,000 in cash
were seized from the premises.
Detectives
also conducted an investigation at Déjà
vu Night Club, located at 474 River Road,
Garfield, which was promoting an “18
to party, 21 to drink” event. Jackie
Ayres, 24, of Hillburn, NY, was issued a summons
for purchasing alcohol for Elyssa Koch, 20,
of Oakland. Koch was also issued a summons
for underage consumption.
Further
investigation revealed an upstairs office
at Déjà vu with posters on the
walls advertising poker games with a $200
cash buy-in plus a $40 fee to the bar. Fifteen
to 20 people were seen playing cards with
money on the table, which is in direct violation
of ABC regulations. Detectives also observed
a working video slot machine, a packet of
suspected cocaine and twenty cartons of untaxed
cigarettes. The slot machine, narcotics and
untaxed cigarettes were seized along with
$8,600 in gambling proceeds. The club’s
owner, Dimitri Kataroski, age 57, of Clifton,
was issued a summons for the gambling, possession
of narcotics and untaxed cigarettes charges.
In
announcing the arrest, Director Fischer noted
that the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control
has established a toll-free hotline for citizens
to report illegal activity to ABC’s
Investigative Unit. Anyone with information
on illegal activity is encouraged to call
1-866-713-8392. All information
received via the ABC hotline will remain confidential.
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