Saugus nightclub Tabu still up and running despite suspension

SAUGUS – Four months after Tabu Ultra Lounge and Nightclub was hit with a four-day suspension the club has not missed a beat and has still not served a day of its punishment.Attorney Frank Russell, who represents Tabu, said Tuesday that issues surrounding the entertainment license are playing out in Superior Court while the liquor license suspension is pending on a ruling from the Alcohol Beverage Control Commission.”Right now we’ve been successful in staying open,” Russell said. “And there have been no incidents at the club since.”Selectman Stephen Horlick begged to differ. He said there have been at least two brawls in the parking lot but the Board of Selectmen have not moved to call the club in for a hearing or even a discussion. The hearing was initially called due to a number of acts of violence that had taken place mainly in the parking lot of the Route 1 north club.The issues with the licenses started when the board voted, following a show cause hearing, to shut down the club on June 26 and 27 and July 17 and 18.During the first weekend Russell succeeded in getting a last minute injunction to remain open pending a hearing with a judge over the board’s ruling. The judge denied the appeal and the board planned to meet to reschedule the initial suspension period.In the meantime Russell won the right in court to retain the club’s alcohol license. Selectman Stephen Castinetti said at the time, however, that the ruling did not extend to the entertainment license so the board yanked that instead.That suspension was supposed to fall on Aug. 7 and 8 and 14 and 15. The club could open and serve food and alcohol but it couldn’t play the radio or any other music or televisions. Russell won that round as well in the end. When police showed up the evening of Aug. 7 to seize the license they learned Russell had made it to court on very short notice and won an injunction allowing the club to once again skirt its suspension.Russell, who is now defending Jin Restaurant and Caterers in a similar show cause hearing with the town, smiled candidly when he spoke of the fact the club had yet to serve its suspension.”I think the court will side with us in the end,” he said. “I believe we will be vindicated.”