Club Bebeto shut down

Following complaints of loud music from neighbors and warnings by the Johnston Police Department of gang activity and other incidents, the Town Council revoked all licenses of Club Bebeto on Greenville Avenue and ordered the establishment shut down.

“This is all about public safety and quality of life issues,” said Police Chief Richard Tamburini during a show case hearing at Monday’s council meeting. “We’ve had reports of disturbances, assaults, underage drinking, loitering, and known gang members frequenting the area.”

Town Solicitor Billy Conley entered as evidence multi-page police reports detailing the department’s constant need to respond to incidents in the area, amounting to at least 20 reports in the last six months alone.

Captain Frank Levesque testified that night patrols had been responding to increasing assault reports at the club, including an incident where an active member of the Sur 13 gang in Providence attacked a man in the parking lot.

Sergeant Michael P. Wheeler, who runs the street gang unit in the Providence Police Department, testified that there’s a heated dispute in Providence right now between Sur 13 and the Tiny Rascal Gang (TRG).

Further testimony revealed that on March 25, two individuals at the club were arrested for underage drinking, as well as one of the club’s bartenders, who was serving the alcohol. Police said one of the underage drinkers is a well-known TRG gang member and his sister was the bartender, who has since been fired.

“As long as one group is allowed to hang out there, you will continue to have trouble because rivals will hunt them down there,” Wheeler said.

Tamburini said such an element is “a threat to the public, the staff that works there and the Johnston police that respond.”

“It’s a drain on police manpower,” he said, calling the situation “a powder keg waiting to happen,” adding, “Alcohol just adds to that.”

Club co-owner Maria Vargas, who also works at the cash register behind the bar, said she doesn’t know who is coming to the club but doesn’t want troublesome people there.

Neighbors complained of loud music coming from the club, especially on the weekends and late at night.

Alexia Cabral, a 12-year-old girl that lives behind the club, said even with the doors closed, she could hear music on Saturday and Sunday nights, making it hard to sleep.

“My dog sleeps with me and he wakes up and starts barking because he’s nervous,” she said.

Although capacity for the club’s first floor is 50, Cabral’s mother, Stacey, said she’s seen more than 50 vehicles parked outside the club.

“First it was karaoke and now it’s a night club,” she said, addressing Vargas. “I can’t use my backyard after 9 p.m. – I have to blast my music to cover yours.”

Greenville Avenue resident Ron Beaumier said he was unaware of the gang activity but described the music as “unbearable.”

“There’s constant riffraff around there and when the cops respond, they have to send six or seven cops,” he said.

Despite claims she didn’t know about the gang element at her club and requests to pay for additional police details, Council President Robert Russo was convinced Vargas had lost control of the situation.

“Clearly it’s out of control and you can’t handle it,” he said.

Tamburini had initially requested the council to revoke the club’s licenses for a 60-day period to give it a chance to make changes to improve the situation. Council Vice President Stephanie Manzi said if that were to be done, when the licenses were reinstated, she didn’t want the entertainment license included and wanted to no music to be played at all. However, after hearing neighbors’ testimony, Tamburini instead requested the council to revoke the club’s operating license, liquor license and entertainment license, effective immediately, and shut it down.

“On-duty police are down there all the time to keep the peace in that area, but that’s not our responsibility,” he said. “If they can’t take care of it, they don’t deserve to hold a license in the Town of Johnston.”