In the same month that saw Harp and Hound in Bay Shore and Riley Fibbers in East Islip caught ablaze, another popular Suffolk County bar is under fire.
Suffolk police announced over the weekend that a late-night inspection at Celtic Crossing Tavern — located on Pulaski Road in Kings Park — resulted in the arrest of three bartenders and the establishment’s immediate, albeit temporary, shutdown.
Joined by the New York State Liquor Authority and the Smithtown Fire Marshal, the Suffolk County Fourth Precinct Crime Section carried out their premises survey at approximately 10 p.m. on Saturday, November 22. Police discovered an overly crowded bar filled to the brim with inebriated minors, and they also recovered a loaded shotgun.
The bar’s owner blamed a faulty ID scanner for the troubling number of underage patrons permitted entry, according to a Newsday report.
The three bartenders taken into custody — Colin Treacy, 19, of Sayville; Stephen Carini, 19, of Kings Park; and Ashley Sandvik, 21, of East Northport — were all charged with three counts of Unlawful Dealing with a Child in the First Degree and Selling Alcohol to a Person Under 21.
They were issued Field Appearance Tickets and are due to appear in First District Court in Central Islip at a later date.
This is a major bust not just for the county but for the island at large. The volume of wrongdoing stopped mirrors the three-bar sting operation Nassau County launched on Hofstra University’s strip of bars a decade ago. When the dust settled, McHebes, Dizzy Lizard, and Bangers were no more.
Following Saturday’s arrests, the Smithtown Fire Marshal issued a total of 10 code violations.
Until the present issues are fully corrected and the building passes re-inspection, Celtic Crossing will remain closed.