LEWISTON – A popular city nightclub lost its entertainment license Tuesday night for allowing female bartenders and waitresses to work topless.

After a lengthy discussion about what constitutes nudity, the City Council voted 4-1 to yank the special amusement permit for Boondoggles.

Without this permit, owner Augustine Russo will no longer be able to have amplified music and live entertainment at his Park Street club.

The councilors stopped short of making a recommendation to the state that the club’s liquor license be revoked. Such a measure could have eventually caused the club to shut down, but it failed when it only had support from three of the five councilors present.

A recent citation from the Lewiston Police Department prompted the City Council to review Boondoggles’ licenses.

Russo was issued a summons last Tuesday after two undercover police officers went into the bar and witnessed two females employees working without shirts.
Scrambling for new ideas’
The officers noted that both women, a waitress and a bartender, had what appeared to be black or green paint over their nipples.

Russo and his attorney argued Tuesday night that the women’s breasts were covered with a liquid latex, which fully concealed their nipples and surrounding area.

The latex, Russo said, is applied with a brush and becomes hard. He claimed it was no different than a tight latex T-shirt.

Russo said he started having his female bartenders and waitresses wear the liquid latex on Tuesday nights as a way to muster new business.

“We’re scrambling for new ideas to bring in patrons,” he said. “We were trying to come up with something that is different but certainly nothing that was illegal.”

Russo claimed that he researched the city ordinance before starting the new promotion, and he determined it was appropriate.

Russo also argued that he wasn’t violating the city ordinance because the two employees were not entertaining customers by dancing or soliciting tips, and the ordinance only bans nudity in the context of entertainment.

“There was no entertainment being provided there,” said Justin Leary, Russo’s attorney. “They were serving drinks and washing glasses.”

In the end, however, the majority of the City Council didn’t buy the bar owner’s explanations.

“I will compliment you on your creativity,” Councilor Mark Paradis told Russo. “But your activities are unacceptable to me, unacceptable to the code.”

At first, the councilors were divided on the issue. Paradis, Ronald Jean and Robert Connors were in favor of revoking the special amusement permit, and Stavros Mendros and Normand Rousseau were opposed.

Mendros said he would consider suspending the permit for 90 days, but he believed a complete revocation was extreme.

“If the police had walked in and there were strippers dancing on tables collecting dollar bills, that would be a different story,” he said.

Rousseau agreed with Mendros at first but eventually reversed his position.

Russo, who has owned the downtown club for five years, can appeal the City Council’s decision in court. He could also apply for a special amusement permit under the name of another company.
[email protected]