By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MIDTOWN — A Flatiron district nightclub could be losing its liquor license following two execution-style murders earlier this fall.
Community Board 5 is considering closing down Roam NYC nightclub after the murders in October.
Raymond Lin, the owner of the club, argued the killings were an isolated incident that he couldn't be blamed for. But the board’s public safety committee disagreed this week, recommending to deny the club's routine renewal in a near-unanimous vote.
The recommendation must now be voted on by the full board.
In the early morning hours of October 4, two Brooklyn men were shot in the head after they left the high-end club at 5 East 19th St.
Detective Michael Hnatko, from the 13th Precinct, told the committee police believed the shooting was gang-related and "had nothing to do with the club."
In its four years of operation, he said police had never had a problem with Roam.
But board members began to grow concerned as they probed Lin about his operation, which relies heavily on outside promoters who plan and advertise events.
The board has long had problems with promoters because they had no stake in the neighborhood and club owners often gave them full reign, committee chair Nicholas Athanail said.
“How do we know how many nights he is turning the keys?" board member Clayton Smith asked.
Lin admitted he was not at the club the night of the murders, but said he usually was. He also said that night was his first time working with a new promoter and vowed never to use him again.
"It was one time. We already took precautions," Lin said, adding that his record “speaks for itself."
But Michael Beys, 30, an attorney who lives on the same block as Roam, said the club has long been a problem, with loud, rowdy and violent crowds.
He said he feared for his two children’s lives and urged the committee to force the club to close.
"Two execution-style murders right outside of, or in the establishment … ought to per se disqualify the applicant from renewal," he said.
Susan Finley, a long-time resident and the co-director of the Flatiron Alliance, warned that if the club stayed open, tragedy would strike again.
"This is the tip of the iceberg if you don’t do something now," she said.
In the end, all but one of the members voted to deny the club's license renewal, which — if heeded — would effectively shut it down.
A visibly angry Lin blasted the decision as "totally unfair," saying "It could happen anywhere."
"People just don't like the nightlife here," he said.
The full board will vote on the committee's recommendation at its next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m.
