Liquor board pulls plug on Lynn club

LYNN – Investigators from the state Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission (ABCC), accompanied by Lynn police, physically removed the liquor license from Raffi’s Place nightclub Friday evening.Richard Coppinger, chairman of the three-member Lynn License Commission, said the ABCC acted following a hearing at which Raffi’s Place owner, Raffael Guzman, faced allegations including he served alcohol that was not purchased from a certified vendor.Police Sgt. Richard Carrow and two detectives from the department’s Special Investigations Unit went to the bar at approximately 6:30 p.m. “Mr. Guzman was informed his liquor license had been revoked by a vote of the ABCC. The license was seized and turned over to the city of Lynn,” Coppinger said.Since last fall, Raffi’s Place, 408-410 Summer St., has been given 14-day and 21-day license suspensions by the local commission. The ABCC upheld the lesser suspension that was based on allegations drugs were sold in the nightclub’s disc jockey booth and that an undercover state trooper was able to purchase drugs in the establishment.The ABCC last week overturned the longer suspension that resulted after the local commission learned of gunshots in the nightclub’s parking lot and other incidents. The state officials found that Raffi’s Place staff did try to cooperate with Lynn police, contrary to the accusations leveled by the local board.”We felt the bar employees failed to cooperate or summon police after the gunshots,” Coppinger said. “The ABCC felt they had cooperated.”Guzman can appeal the ABCC revocation to Superior Court. He also faces one remaining public hearing before the local commission on April 27, when the case at hand includes allegations Raffi’s Place staff did not summon police to assist a man struck over the head with a beer bottle.Under state law, police and medical aid must be summoned in such circumstances.”Even though the ABCC revoked the liquor license, we’ll be moving forward with our hearings in Lynn,” said Coppinger, noting the state investigators were instrumental in helping the local commission enforce the law.