City: Threats Intimidate Would-be Taurus Witnesses

by Melissa Bailey | January 10, 2007 6:48 PM | | Comments (8)

IMG_6848.JPGMoments after a hearing in which Habitat for Humanity testified in favor of shutting down the man on the right’s Newhallville bar, the non-profit housing organization got an anonymous phone call threatening to burn its offices down, a city official testified at a hearing Wednesday.

As part of a clampdown on crime, the mayor and a squadron of city officials and residents have been pursuing a remonstrance to prevent the Taurus Café at 520 Winchester Ave. from renewing its liquor license. If successful, the move would effectively shut down the facility, which is zoned as a 85-seat restaurant but known as a bar.

The petition was originally filed by 50 neighbors to the bar, who can by state law lobby against the license renewal if they deem the bar “not suitable” for the neighborhood. The mayor, citing 33 police calls to the bar in 2006, including a shooting on New Year’s Eve outside the club, has dubbed the club one of five “hot spot” bars that are havens for crime and need to be shut down.

“The way they’re operated right now, they’re a threat to neighborhoods,” said Mayor John DeStefano in a recent interview.

Wednesday, suit-clad City Hall officials and denim-clad regulars from the bar filed into a hearing room at the State Office Building in Hartford, where Taurus Café owner Larry Livingston (pictured above) is seeking renewal of his liquor license before the Liquor Control Commission.

Last week, a group of people including the New Haven chief of police, assistant chief of police, Habitat for Humanity, and a woman who at that time was living in a Habitat home right near the bar, spoke out against the Taurus. Attorney Peter Berdon is litigating on the city’s side.

This week, the city came armed with lawyers, Livable Cities Initiative (LCI) officials and a zoning expert, but no residents. In the wake of two recent threats and a burglary after the first hearing, residents who opposed the bar were too afraid to come, testified Newhallville Alderwoman Alfreda Edwards and Julie Savin, a Newhallville staffer from LCI.

Savin detailed three threats.

Last week’s hearing let out at 2:35 p.m. Moments later, Habitat reported getting an anonymous phone call threatening to burn its offices down, testified Savin. Police spokeswoman Bonnie Winchester confirmed Habitat reported an arson threat at 2:57 p.m.

The single mother who moved into a new Habitat house at 526 Winchester in April also appeared at the Jan. 4 hearing. Just two days later on Saturday, she reported burglars prowling in her home. She called police twice, reporting a burglar first fiddling with her door then entering her bedroom, said Winchester. Savin said the woman has since moved out.

“What? They’re making things up!” whispered a snickering Taurus loyalist in the audience.

Savin said she also witnessed a third threat to an anti-Taurus Newhallville neighbor Sunday, but she did not elaborate further.

IMG_6848%2A.jpgWord of these incidents has been flying around Newhallville, intimidating would-be witnesses, testified Alderwoman Edwards (pictured). “A lot of people do feel intimidated to come because of the hearsay that people have been threatened.”

New Haven police, as well as the FBI, are investigating the threats, and a detective was present at the hearing, taking names and addresses of those who testified.

Livingston, who owns the Taurus, denied any relation to the threats: “There’s nobody in the community that’s making no threats to Habitat — that’s B.S.”

The Debate

To prevent Livingston from renewing his license, the city must show the bar is not suitable for the area. LCI’s Savin, in the hot seat for most of Wednesday’s hearing, spoke of the city’s Newhallville revitalization plan, some of which has been started, to stabilize the rundown area by bringing in owner-occupied homes. That effort is thwarted by the Taurus, she testified.

“There have been brought to my attention a tremendous amount of concerns” about the Taurus, “criminal activity inside and out,” testified Savin.

The hearing officer, Elisa A. Nahas, a short-haired, bespectacled woman sitting at a desk on a raised platform at the front of the room, cut in: “We need more specificity.” Savin related the tale of an elderly woman on Thompson Street who objected to loud DJ music late at night. Nahas admitted the hearsay as evidence, but said hearsay proves nothing. “We need to see living people here to testify.”

“People are frightened to come here,” said Savin.

Luckily, Alderwoman Edwards came in and stepped up to the plate. Her ward members complain of bar patrons urinating on their properties and making too much noise, she said. She sat on the Newhallville Management Team, a group that worked hard to help draft the Newhallville revitalization plan. “I believe this bar is a menace to my ward getting these houses. Who’s going to buy a house with all the problems we’re having there?”

Taurus Café’s attorney, David Avigdor, who is also a rabbi in New Haven, derided the city’s case as a “shotgun blast of allegations” without sufficient evidence. He questioned the 33 police calls in 2006, only eight of which the city had provided police reports for. His cross-examination centered on the notion that no one had taken the time to talk to Livingston about his café and find a solution.

Last Thursday, three extra-duty police officers, employees of the Taurus Café, testified on Livingston’s behalf. A dozen Taurus supporters showed up Wednesday, but will not testify until the next hearing on Feb. 21, when Avigdor will begin to build his case.

One bar-goer, a 40-year-old who gave his name as “S.P.,” said he came because he was “part of the club, like Cheers.” He noted the Taurus is the only bar left in the ‘Ville, after the Oasis and the 7-11 shut down. He and his friends don’t want to go drink in a different ‘hood where they would not be welcome. Shutting down the Taurus would create “more killings,” he said.

IMG_6849.JPGThis patron, Yul Watley, portrayed the hearings as a city-backed “trial by ambush” against a minority-owned business. The Taurus had long wanted to buy the lot where the Habitat house now sits to use it as a parking lot, he said. “I really knew when they built that house there, they were going to come out at him.”

Comments

Posted by: Outraged | January 11, 2007 1:03 AM

I am outraged that a Habitat homeowner and her family were forced to move out of their home because of the despicable actions of a few who don't understand the real meaning of a community. Fear and intimidation are NOT the fabric of revitalized communities.

Habitat for Humanity has been serving the working poor in New Haven for years now and it deserves the respect of ALL city residents. Habitat of Greater New Haven has a long and proud tradition of transforming entire streets, blocks, and even neighborhoods that others have written off as too dangerous or too poverty-striken for their investments.

The tragic behavior of the Taurus Cafe and its patrons should infuriate all New Haveners who truly care about this city. We can and should stand up and put a stop to this nonsense! We talk and talk about halting the violence that is taking so many of our young people's lives...now it is time to walk the walk!

Posted by: Wow | January 11, 2007 1:37 AM

WOW-

Posted by: Bill Nelson | January 11, 2007 11:08 AM

Members of the police force should NOT be employees of the Taurus Bar or any other establishment like it. That's a HUGE conflict of interest. Hey, Cheif Ortiz, you listening? The police force is "officially" against the Taurus continuing to operate, but won't do much to really close the place down or protect those who live in the area and aren't bar patrons. Get your cops off Larry's payroll NOW.

Posted by: Cedar Hill Resident | January 11, 2007 3:25 PM

Ok of course I am adding my 2 cents. This is happening all over the city weather it is a bar or another kind of business the bad guys are law savvy.
FIRST… They have the right to hire off duty officers to work in there business like everyone else but shame on them for standing up for him. (I hope the powers that be are paying attention)
I think the owner’s defense is that they are not part of any of the wrong doings so why should they pay the price.

Well, dear wonderful business owners you have a responsibility for how your business affects the surrounding area. What you are not understanding is we to have rights .
We have the right to not be afraid to walk out our doors.
We have the right to quiet and enjoyment.
If I buy a property and your clients are effecting the market value on my property. why should I and all the surrounding properties suffer a lose from your clients disrespect and disreguard of the community.
But your lack of being able to control the people that come to your business is totally disrespectful to the community and the children that live it!

And don’t say there is nothing you can do, Please…. how many places out there do it. What makes these few bad business different than all the other place that are able keep the trouble to a minimum.
Unless hmmmmmmmmm there is an element of crime involved. You have half the police saying it is a problem and these 3 cops saying it is not??? HMMMMMM.

I have the same problem with a business in my area to, the owner says its not him but lets get real you no what is happening and just because it is not you; should not mean that you should not be held responsible for the damage your business is causing in an area full of good people. And that blind eye is what makes you guilty just as guilty!!! Whats the old saying “guilt by association “.!! So I do not feel bad for you or your clients who say they will have know where to go if you are shut down. Guess what ……….you are the ones that caused it. Even if you did not do anything wrong if you saw someone doing something wrong and you ignored it then yes you are part of the problem.

Posted by: KS | January 11, 2007 7:03 PM

I hope all readers understand how tragic it is that the Habitat owner, Vanessa, had to move out of her house near Taurus Cafe. That must of been incredibly hard for her. I'm one of the hundreds of volunteers who helped fundraise and build her house. I met her several times and her sweet kids. She was so excited to own a house for the first time. It took years for her to work her way through the program, but she did, and she, along with volunteers from the community built that house nail by nail. The violence, drugs and drunkenness that spills out of the Tauras Cafe made it unsafe for her or any other decent person to live in the vicinity. Her life and lives of her children were threatened. Other people in Newhallville are scared to stand up to Larry Livingston. Arson threats are being made to Habitat for Humanity. This is a big story. Far bigger than a "neighborhood" bar trying to renew their liquor license amid some controversy. Remember that Independent article recently about the clean up of Winchester Ave? Lots more houses were supposed to be built for good homeowners. Not going to happen. That street belongs to Larry and his group, so they think. And there sits an abandoned Habitat for Humanity house that WE built. Yeah, I'm outraged too. Independent- follow up!!

Posted by: a point | January 12, 2007 7:11 PM

This is a very bad establishment....

It is time for the Mayor to pony up or get out of the way. There are good people with good ideas, but the Democratic Machine needs to address whether John is the right person. I strongly suggest all readers speak to the adlers from their nieghborhoods and to any DTC memeber about why we need new vision. Not...Ok I was busy running for Gov., took all my staff, took my pay...for three years, and now have appointed many jobs as blatant payback. If the DTC is not offended by this reflection on them, the arrogance, then we must use this and any other forum, to get this in the open. We need a real candidate, with real ideas, that creates a team based on skill, not favor. I will state clearly, some of the people are great leaders and I love the idea they are appointed, or moved to NHHA. BUt we now need a new mayor to work with this new group before they get discouraged, and move on and away from the city.

I wonder...is ther anyway to get an idea of who might really be considered a good candidate? Someone from New Haven, familiar with the behind te scenes poloticing, but not a part of it. Does that person exist here in New Haven? I think so, and to just say two alderman that I believe would be great are the current and previous Presidents

Posted by: Cathie | January 15, 2007 10:53 AM

Our family have been residents of New haven for 23 years. We have known the Cooper family since she started working on her home and it is hard to believe that she is now homeless because of fear to live in her own house. Is this for real? You may say that the residents around the cafe are exaggerating but we have driven by this corner on a few weekend nights to see for ourselves and it is true-we were approached for drugs right on the street on the side of her home!! The residents of this neighborhood would have no reason to lie about this, in fact they have spoken out in spite of concerns for the safety of their families. How many of us would be brave enough to do this? If the city of New Haven really had the committment to change the neighborhood, her complaints as well as the cautious, time consuming efforts by her advocates would have made some changes. To whom do we assign blame? How do we make this neighborhood safe? Habitat for Humanity has the goal of eliminating poverty housing and there are many of us who work hard toward this goal. Winchester Ave is the perfect place to continue their good work. I challenge the Independent to continue to inform us about this tragedy.

Posted by: MSW | January 15, 2007 5:26 PM

All of us New Haven families do not wish to live across from Business Establishments that are not safe. Vanessa and her family deserve to have the law officers and Justice System of our city protect her and her children and their hard earned property. Please do not play the race card, Taurus people. You are members of the same minority group as the homeowners. We are all entitled to be safe. This is the United States, remember?

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