Mayor denies racism against club’s patrons

PHOTOGRAPHER: Lee Coleman

Mayor Scott Johnson called a racism allegation brought by the owner of a Caroline Street dance club “outrageous and totally irresponsible.”

The owner of the now-closed Club Shadow on the second floor of 30 Caroline St. wrote in a mitigation statement to the State Liquor Authority that the mayor is a part-owner of Sperry’s Restaurant next door and that the two establishments had clashed.

“The owners of Sperry’s have expressed displeasure over the licensee running a legitimate hip-hop club which catered to clientele who were individuals of color on a street otherwise populated by primarily white patrons,” says the mitigation statement presented to the SLA by attorney James Linnan of Albany on behalf of Club Shadow licensee, John Lucarelli.

The SLA canceled the liquor license of Club Shadow last week after finding more than a dozen violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control law at the club last month.

In its findings, the SLA noted that Club Shadow was also the scene of a large fight that spilled out onto Caroline Street in the early morning hours of June 26.

The street brawl required the services of 15 city police officers as well as state police and Ballston Spa police to quell. Five city police officers received minor injuries in the brawl.

Mayor Johnson said he had nothing to do with the State Liquor Authority canceling the club’s liquor license.

“I had no involvement with the SLA and never complained about [Club Shadow] to them,” Johnson said.

Christel and Colin MacLean also said Friday they never complained about Club Shadow nor made racist comments against the dance club.

“In fact, there were never complaints made by Sperry’s owners or Sperry’s customers pertaining to Club Shadow,” they said in a joint statement. “Since his business tended to open after our business closed, our businesses had zero impact upon one another and we shared friendly relations.”

“As a person of color, I find it particularly reprehensible that race was brought into the mix, especially as there was absolutely never an issue between the two businesses,” Christel MacLean said. “And to use an inflammatory claim such as racism is extremely disturbing.”

Johnson is among a number of part-owners of Sperry’s. The group purchased the long-operating restaurant just over a year ago.

“I’ve never been accused of being a racist before,” Johnson said about the mitigation statement. He said such an allegation is “damaging to the business [restaurant] and me personally.”

Lucarelli filed the mitigation statement to try to retain the liquor license for his bar and restaurant, Johnny Luc’s, on the first floor of 30 Caroline St. The SLA did allow Lucarelli to keep the license for this establishment while canceling the license for the dance club on the second floor.

The SLA suspended the Club Shadow liquor license on July 1 after an inspection June 24, during which it recorded 19 violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law.

The violations included paying employees off the books, employing unregistered bouncers, unlawful purchase of alcohol and possessing ten bottles of liquor “infested with insects.”

“In less than a year in operation, Club Shadow has become a drain on police resources as the Saratoga police have been called time after time to respond to violent incidents at the club,” said SLA Chairman Dennis Rosen when the SLA suspended the club’s license.