Mayor Took First Complaints About "Swinger" Party Site
The event hall and catering business had no license allowing adult entertainment, Town Clerk Vincent Baccari confirmed.
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During an interview at Town Hall on April 5, Mayor Joseph M. Polisena confirmed that he received the initial complaints about Sebastian's Party Place, the site for a "swinger" party held April 2.
"We take every complaint seriously, providing I talk to somebody with a pulse," Polisena explained. "I asked the Police Chief to look into it, the men and women of his department did their due diligence, and they were successful in shutting it down."
Polisena said one complaint, in particular, led him to refer the matter to the police department about a week before the undercover operation that led to the arrest of the hall's owner.
"I got a call from a person, not a resident, whose daughter was visiting; she was walking by and the patrons were calling her to come in," Polisena recalled. "This person was the father of the girl, who is a minor — when I heard it was a minor, I saw red. When you go after young children, I have a problem."
The caller apparently also tried to enter the hall, but "they threw him out," Polisena said.
The mayor said the party was not allowed by any license held by Sebastian's.
"They were operating illegally," Polisena said. "We don't condone that kind of entertainment."
Polisena also explained the town has taken several steps to curb adult entertainment, including a 1997 ordinance — based on legislation he sponsored while a state Senator — meant to distance the town from its past as a center of strip clubs and nude shows.
"That's Johnston 40 or 50 years ago," Polisena said. "That's not Johnston of today."
Town Councilor Ernest Pitochelli (I-Dist. 2), whose district includes Sebastian's, said during a phone interview that he's "doing research" on the hall in the event that the police request a show cause hearing from the Town Council, which could lead to a revocation of the licenses.
"I'm not a happy camper," Pitochelli said, adding, "I'd like to see a public hearing, rather than a show cause hearing held in executive session."
A check of the licenses in place on April 2 for Sebastian's Party Place shows that the event hall and catering business held a restaurant license, a type BV liquor license, and an entertainment license — but no certification that would have allowed the "swinger" party held there that night.
Town Clerk Vincent Baccari confirmed the licenses that were in effect on the hall the night of the police operation, which resulted in the arrest of Steven Santilli, the owner of Sebastian's.
Johnston and State Police shut down the party after undercover officers reportedly witnessed sex acts and nudity during the event. Police charged Santilli with violating the town's prohibition on adult entertainment, and with a felony count of promoting an obscene show, related to online announcements of the event.
The Town Charter, available for viewing online, sets regulations for adult entertainment under General Provisions Article XIII and Administrative Legislation Chapter 83.
In This article
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Johnston Town Hall
1385 Hartford Ave, Johnston, RI (Johnston Town Hall) -
Sebastian's Party Place
928 Plainfield St, Johnston, RI
Jason
11:27 pm on Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Wait, so a guy is walking by with his minor daughter in the middle of the night through a parking lot of a function hall, gets accosted by a gang of thuggish middle-aged overweight couples who like to have sex with others, then decided to leave his daughter in the parking lot so that he can go in and party? Isn't that what this says? $50 says he couldn't get any in the party or got drunk and tossed out and called the mayor to complain and made up the whole "minor" thing...
Elizabeth
11:49 am on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
LMAO Funny Jason you hit the nail on the head!!
Joseph Hutnak
11:58 pm on Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Hi Jason:
Just to clarify, the mayor said he received the call about the incident about a week before the April 2 arrest (3rd paragraph).
So, to answer your question: no, the reported incident with the girl did not happen the same night as the swinger party.
Jason
12:35 am on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
But OBVIOUSLY he's talking about a swinger's party - turnto10 says they were a regular event there. Else why would he have been offended that they approached his "daughter?" I doubt an invite to come in and party with a post-funeral crowd on a Tuesday afternoon would have driven him to call the mayor. And it says he tried to enter the event and was "thrown out." As a father with a young child, it's inconceivable that if I were randomly walking through a dark parking lot in the middle of the night and some people asked my daughter to come into their sex party that I would be "trying to enter the hall" since it would mean either leaving my daughter out in the parking lot or bringing her into a sex party (and how did he KNOW it was a sex party and not an invite to an ice cream social? I mean he had to know something about this party to be offended, right?)
So I didn't mean to suggest it was the same night, but it is very clear that he knew the nature of the party the night he WAS there and unless they were having sex in the parking lot (and there's no indication of that) the only reasonable explanation for going in is that he knew what was going on because he meant to be there. And if he meant to be there he wouldn't have his daughter with him. Of course the other possibility is that the mayor just knew about this party and decided he didn't want it happening in Johnston anymore so he "took a phone call" and used it as probable cause to send the jackboots in. Hrm...
Ginger
9:41 am on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I took it as the man's daughter was walking by and was invited in. She went home and told who father who then tried to go in to see what was going on. There really aren't enough details to the story to assume.
MYOB
12:28 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The people who attend this club are all Mom's and Dad's. Do you really think that parents would invite a child into a sex party? That makes as much as sense as 'walking by' the entrance. It is on the far end of the building. You can't walk 'by'. This is nothing more than a few people who can't mind their own business, who want to push their version of morality on A group of consenting adults that weren't bothering anyone.
Elizabeth
11:48 am on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I have to say that this is a GREAT father to NOT only call the Mayor's office about the club, but also to be letting his daughter walk the streets (behind buildings) in the middle of the night! Way to go dad..want to adopt me??
Louie
12:41 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
This is complete B.S from the Mayor.How's that Hotel coming along,the one you have your picture taken at before every election?
Heather
12:47 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Not only is the entrance at the far end of the building, the building itself it at the bottom of hill with nothing else around it.
MYOB
1:02 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I would like to know how many tax dollars were wasted on this fool's errand.
kimba
1:40 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
So, swingers in the middle of the night are hanging outside in a dark parking lot. Along comes some sweet & innocent young girl walking around at that time in that area. These adults who can apparently walk in the door and have sexy on tabletops, bars, floors decide to proposition her? What? Are you serious? The father didn't show up to physically attack someone? Please! Thankfully the 'powers that be' are there to protect us all from common sense. Only adults are involved here.... Honestly, who cares??
ESG 1
2:26 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I don't buy parts of this story. A minor or anyone for that matter, would no business being near the entrance of that club unless they were going into that club. There is no place to walk from or to so I don't buy the "Walking by" part. So we're to believe that a minor was allowed to stay out that late (This was not an afternoon party), get asked to come into the club, figure out it was a swinger party somehow, went home and told Daddy, Daddy tries to get in and doesn't raise a HUGE stink at the door?
Mr parent
3:12 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Do not worry people , the Johnston School Committee member that owns this building would never allow a school age girl to enter !
na
4:16 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
I call complete BS! The mayor sounds full of it. As others have said, and quoting the mayor's comments above, a "minor walking by" a dark parking lot behind a building late at night, alone by herself while visiting?? Give me a break. This should have raised red flags to the reporter that something sounded fishy and to inquire further. Of course, the mayor has to use the word "minor" so he can justify his anonymous caller and put on the appearance of concern.
This sounds like a banquet place that rents out the hall. And the dad should have been thrown out if he was party crashing. Or is there more to the story and does someone have an axe to grind? Leave the consenting adults alone on their little private spring break. So why weren't patrons arrested if they were involved in illegal activity?
Eddie H
6:33 pm on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
lol......you have ALWAYS have a bunch of clowns for elected officials up there in that part of the woods.......the rest of the State laughs at you.........honestly............. THIS is what your worried about???
J. DiBiase
10:37 pm on Monday, April 11, 2011
GROSSS...Wow.. Mostly married adults at a PRIVATE party at a party Hall..... and the town takes this mans liscence's to make a living? Really? Who EXACTLY was being bothered by this party? Answer.. NO ONE. Whats next? No more bachelor parties at a hall either? Maybe ban male strippers from bachelorette parties too.... This is sick... Tack on one more reason the people are leaving this state...
BTW The man who "called" should be subpeoned, the specifics of the complaint verified, the daughter interviewed, ETC
Why EXACTLY was his "minor daughter" on private property, at night, in the back of a building? Was the owner at least issued a warning? (ahh...Nope).... What a disgusting pack of lies .... Good luck during the re-election because with this fiasco the mayor just lost thousands of votes...
Joseph Hutnak
10:42 pm on Monday, April 11, 2011
Hello J.:
I wrote a follow-up that addresses the "private party" question: http://patch.com/A-g2j6
The Deputy Police Chief stated: "This was not a private party — it was a business that was open for anyone to walk in off the street and pay the $25 cover charge, like our detectives did."
In that article, you'll also find links to the specific town ordinance and state law that the police cited in shutting down the event.
Louous
6:53 pm on Tuesday, April 12, 2011
It is sad & disgusting that public officials and jealous fat middle aged me (closet pervs no doubt) can't leave a few consenting adults alone! Who are they hurting? No One! With all that's going on today, several wars, the price of gas, unemployment, illegal aliens ruining our infastructure, neighborhoods & very way of life, costing us $$$, our jobs & even our homes, it is SICK to see that this is the crap our paid public officials are fixated on & obsessed with. Leave these fun loving adults alone & let them have a few laughs in this troubled time!!!