Talk of the Town license suspended

Wild Turkey whiskey and waitresses named Cannibal and Shantelle were discussed by Las Vegas city attorneys, council members and city employees at a special City Council meeting Wednesday.

The hearing involved the exotic dance establishment Talk of the Town, which won't be operating for three weeks next month due to a suspension of its business license.

The City Council unanimously voted to suspend the club's license because the club was allowing alcohol to be consumed on its premises without a liquor license.

The citation filed against Talk of the Town was the result of a series of undercover investigations conducted by the city's business licensing division.

Over a series of weeks in January and February, officers brought alcohol into the establishment. After the investigation, a citation was issued to Talk of the Town for its violation, and a hearing on the disciplinary action was scheduled.

During Wednesday's hearing, the city's licensing division and its investigative practices were criticized by Dominic Gentile, attorney for Talk of the Town.

"We have to question the credibility of witnesses that were consuming alcohol," Gentile said, adding that since the officers drove after drinking at the establishments it's a good thing they didn't take the city-issued vehicles and end up "wrapping it around a tree or a pedestrian."

He requested the case be dismissed, on the grounds that the investigation was done improperly.

"You have a chance to take a stand against policy here," he said.

City Councilman Michael McDonald, who has led the charge against Talk of the Town and a couple of other exotic dance establishments that have been fined for the same violation in the past two months, pointed out to Gentile that Talk of the Town still broke the law. He added that police use issued vehicles and drink alcohol in their undercover operations.

"Let's not play games here," he said. "We know there shouldn't be alcohol in these places, yet employees have allowed this to continue. The law was created to protect the public. This is not a minor offense, this is very serious."

Mayor Jan Laverty Jones was not at the meeting.

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