HELL'S KITCHEN — A popular gay bar that's enraged locals by throwing loud parties and playing porn that's visible from the street was raided by the NYPD early Saturday morning and was temporarily shut down for operating without a liquor license, sources said.
The raid on Fairytail Lounge, at 500 W. 48th St., was part of the Multi-Agency Response to Community Hotspots program and included police and investigators from the State Liquor Authority and the Department of Buildings, among others.
Officials issued 10 criminal court summonses and 19 SLA violations to the hotspot, police sources said. One of the violations was for operating without a liquor license, but the specifics of the other violations were not immediately clear.
As DNAinfo New York first reported, the bar's liquor license expired at the end of November, but the nightlife spot continued to host parties well into December.
In a November letter, Community Board 4 begged the SLA not to renew Fairytail's liquor license, citing years of community anger over loud parties seven days a week and crowds that down the bar's $3 drinks.
Residents have also complained that porn playing on televisions and scantily clad male dancers are often visible from the sidewalk.
"The reaction [to the raid] is so positive and overwhelming," said Larry Roberts, president of the Midtown North Precinct Community Council. "The operator has just been a nightmare from the beginning."
According to its Twitter account, the bar reopened on Saturday night for a second anniversary party, less than a day after being shut down by the NYPD. According to SLA records, the hotspot still does not have a liquor license.
The bar's owner, Anthony Scianna, is expected to appear before the SLA this week, sources said.
Scianna did not return phone calls, though he previously told DNAinfo New York that criticism of the bar felt like a "witch hunt" against the gay community.
A spokesman for the SLA, William Crowley, did not respond to requests for comment.
