It could be game over for alcohol at the big games if a legal feud is successful.
The State Liquor Agency gave Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, and the Beacon Theater, all owned by James Dolan, administrative charges over his recent banning of attorneys from the venues who are in an active legal battle against either him or the Garden. Should the agency be successful in this legal battle, it could prevent fans from enjoying alcoholic beverages at numerous events, including sports and concerts, according to the New York Post.
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The four violations in question were received in the mail on Feb. 21, with the State Liquor Agency demanding a formal plea from Dolan’s properties by this coming Wednesday. However, Dolan instead filed a petition in the Manhattan Supreme Court on Saturday asking to stop the State Liquor Agency violations, claiming the enforcement is “an abuse of power.”
“This gangster-like governmental organization has finally run up against an entity that won’t cower in the face of their outrageous abuses,” Dolan told the outlet. “While others that have been subject to this harassment may have been forced into submission or silence, we are taking a stand on behalf of our fans and the many small businesses who have long been subject to the SLA’s corruption.”
The State Liquor Agency has been looking into whether or not Dolan’s ban on attorneys violates any state rules. Dolan’s ban was first reported in 2022, though the story gained serious traction in January of this year when a lawyer who was taking her daughter’s Girl Scout troop to a show at Radio City Music Hall was not allowed in.
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Dolan also threatened to remove booze for a New York Rangers game at the Garden in January. In the interview on Good Day New York, Dolan held up an image of State Liquor Agency boss Sharif Kabir and warned him that he would send him fans who would likely complain about the ban.
Kabir, State Liquor Agency lawyer Michael Ammirato, and investigator Charles Stravalle were all named in the court papers.
