In the months leading up to my mother’s death, cops called an illegal bar seven times
Police were called to an illegal Astoria club seven times in the weeks before a Queens woman collapsed and died there – but they either found no evidence of wrongdoing or couldn’t get in because the hotspot’s doors were locked, as records show.
A week before Stephanie Quinones was found dead at the 49th Street club, police arrived at the scene three times within an hour after complaints of a loud party, data from 311 shows.
According to the city’s data, any report of the July 24 visits was marked “closed” after “officials were unable to gain access to the premises.”
Police responded to complaints about the club once in May when someone complained about the loud party music. Authorities responded around 7 a.m. but couldn’t find anything wrong, according to records.
On June 9 and 10, officers investigated calls about a loud party after 6 a.m. but closed the complaints because they found no evidence.
A July 17 call ended similarly: The NYPD received a call at 6:22 a.m. about a loud party at the club’s address, but police found “no evidence of the violation.”
Authorities have also made arrests at the club. On May 28, a 32-year-old man and 26-year-old woman were arrested for allegedly running an unlicensed bottle club after officers investigating a noise complaint discovered slot machines and a bar in the building, according to the NYPD.
Meanwhile, the owner of the building where the club operated claims he was cheated by the tenant.
Landlord Maikis Ingilis said the tenants, who ended up throwing late-night parties, signed the lease with a company name that appeared to be a legitimate company, but the Post could find little information about the company.
Ingilis said he passed information about the tenant to the police and kept the club in check after Quinones’ death.
“We told them you had to get out of here,” he said.
Quinones was celebrating her 35th birthday at the club when she died on July 31.
A video circulating on social media shows Quinones lying seemingly unconscious on the dance floor, but instead of dialing 911, club staff dragged her body to the back and left her alone for 90 minutes, telling her family only that she was drunk.
When Quinones’ sister Jasmin Gonzalez arrived 90 minutes later, the mother of a 12-year-old had already died.
Police said they are investigating the incident.
“I don’t know how she got there or how she knew about it, but it’s a shame someone died for it to finally close,” Gonzalez told The Post. “You really have to do something to know who you rent to. It is dangerous.”
