Struggle to close El Tropical continues
by Chuck Hoven

(Plain Press, August 2008) On July 9th a number of residents from the neighborhood around the El Tropical nightclub at W. 44th and Storer, drove to Columbus to testify before the Ohio Liquor Control Commission about the problems created by the El Tropical in the neighborhood. They brought with them empty casings from an assault rifle that had recently been discharged outside the troublesome nightclub. Prior to their trip someone had broken glass salsa jars on the car and house of neighborhood resident Rowena Ventura, co-chairperson of the local block club and a leader in the effort to close the bar. The van the group planned to ride to Columbus with had also been tampered with. Ventura reported, “The gas tank was packed with sand.”

A strongly built case by City of Cleveland attorney Sue Bungard, testimony of residents living near El Tropical, combined with strong testimony against the bar by Ward 14 Councilman Joe Santiago, convinced the Ohio Liquor Control Commission to deny the license renewal by the club.

However, the struggle to close the nightclub continues. The attorney for El Tropical, J. Richard Lumpe, filed an appeal in Franklin County Court on July 18th and asked for a stay allowing El Tropical to remain open during the appeal. The Franklin County Court granted the stay before the city of Cleveland could file a motion to deny the stay.

Residents will not have to testify again, the Franklin County Court will only consider evidence already in the case file. However, the appeal may drag out into October of this year. The court calendar lists a non-oral hearing date for the case on October 17, 2008.

Ventura expressed extreme frustration at the decision of the Franklin County Court to allow El Tropical to remain open while appealing. The court record includes the number of malicious acts perpetrated against her family by the nightclub’s supporters and the danger her family and residents of the neighborhood have been placed in due to the presence of the nightclub. In a recent incident the brakes line to her truck were unscrewed while parked on the street by her house. She said her son drove the truck and was able to prevent a serious accident by maneuvering the truck to a stop.

Ventura notes the drug dealing she has witnessed outside of El Tropical. She says she has asked Second District Commander Keith Sulzer for additional police patrols on the street, but has not seen any increased police presence.

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