By Jonann Brady
The bar at 1929 Grand Ave. had previously been ticketed by the First Precinct for prostitution and drug sales on the premises and had been slapped with a number of code violations from the Town of Hempstead Buildings Department.
The property owner, James Gentile, said he terminated the lease because of the bar's constant run-ins with the law and the bar manager handed over the keys to Gentile on April 20. Gentile, who previously lived in Baldwin but now lives in Florida, said he might relocate back to New York and open a bar in the space himself. He ran the bar Mickey's at 1929 Grand Ave. several years ago.
Neighbors frequently complained that rowdy patrons entered and exited the bar at all hours of the day and night, and that they would awake to find their lawns littered with beer bottles and used condoms.
"Since the place closed, it's been as quiet as can be," said Seaman Avenue resident Bob Zilinsky. "There's no more riff-raff in the middle of the night yelling and screaming."
Zilinsky credits the closing with the frequent police presence at the bar.
On Dec. 7, 2001 the bar was busted for prostitution when a First Precinct officer found a woman having sex with a patron in the basement. One week later the bar received a number of citations for building and fire code violations. The last building code citations were in January, and the bar was cited for erecting walls in the basement to create four areas with beds, according to the Town of Hempstead.
Since January, the bar was ticketed again by police for possession of counterfiet bills and possession and sale of drugs, said First Precinct Deputy Inspector Richard McCarrick.
The closing "makes us all very happy," said McCarrick.
"Business had slowed down because we were there all the time," he added.
Bob Mueller, the owner of Hi-Tone repair across the street, said that the bar was a constant source of trouble.
"It didn't look kosher," he said. "There were cars pulling up every five or ten minutes."
His wife Sue-Ann said they would not mourn the death of the Crow Bar. "We're doing a happy dance," she said.
