Gaslight Liquor License Suspended After Fatal Oak Lawn Crash

OAK LAWN, IL — An Oak Lawn bar, where two patrons were alleged to have spent Saturday evening drinking before leaving the bar and causing a fatal car crash, has had its liquor license suspended.

Gaslight Bar & Grill, 5130 W. 95th St., was set to appear Aug. 30 before the Oak Lawn Liquor Commission. The bar recently changed ownership and, since its re-opening in early July, village officials claim the bar has racked up numerous violations of village and state liquor codes.

Mayor Terry Vorderer, who acts as the village liquor commissioner, suspended the liquor license of PJS Spirits, Inc., doing business as “The Gaslight Bar & Grill.” Recent social media posts by the bar’s management have been using the name “On the Rocks” with the tagline “the old Gaslight.” The suspension also precludes the bar from initiating a “BYOB” policy.

“The mayor as liquor commissioner has determined that the threat to public safety has risen to the level that immediate action was warranted,” Oak Lawn Village Attorney Paul O’Grady said. “Further, the entire board of trustees were consulted and are lockstep with the mayor’s decision.”

Under consideration at next week’s hearing, Vorderer and the liquor commission will consider sanctions up to and including revocation of the Gaslight’s liquor license.

The notice of suspension was emailed to the new owner, Felicia Phillips, on Wednesday, village officials told Patch, when attempts to serve the owners and management were unsuccessful because the bar was closed. Phillips’ attorney, David Courtright, was also served with the amended complaint.

Village officials claim the bar has been a source of ongoing and serious problems since it’s grand opening in early July, when a bartender threatened the manager, Kevin Phillips, the new owner’s son, with a gun, after complaining of being shorted on tips, according to an Oak Lawn police report.

The bartender was arrested and charged with felony aggravated assault and unlawful use of a weapon.

Residents who live near the bar have also logged dozens of calls and complaints about the bar during that first week, prompting Vorderer to call for a special liquor commission meeting July 27.

Among the “Notice of Charges” presented at the July hearing were fighting, multiple noise complaints, excessive and public drinking, public cannabis use, damage to vehicles, leaving the scene of an accident, multiple parking violations such as blocking residential driveways, littering, health code violations, and other charges.

The hearing was continued 30 days when Courtright told commissioners that he had only been retained the night before. Vorderer granted the request, warning that the village expected complete compliance in the interim and would not tolerate any additional problems.

Courtright said the bartenders involved in the opening night altercation were fired immediately. He also said the owners were unprepared for the large crowd that showed up for the grand opening. The owners, he added, are trying to be sensitive to nearby neighbors.

“The mayor has taken time to talk to us,” Courtright said. “We’ve put together a game plan that works for everybody.”

More charges have been added to the village’s complaint against PSJ Spirits since the July hearing. Gaslight (sometimes spelled “Gaslite”) bartenders still have not come into the police station to be fingerprinted, as required for all bartenders working in Oak Lawn, in compliance with village’s liquor code.

In June, village officials claim the bar also failed health inspections, including no manager on premises, raw or unrefrigerated meat and chicken, warm canned drinks in the back room, undated and unmarked food, inoperable beer keg cooler and an inoperable ice machine. The inspection also noted plumbing violations including sewage smells in the basement, no mop/utility sink, and a non-working toilet. The village liquor code requires bars and food establishments to maintain sanitary conditions.

Gaslight management has also reportedly been seen unloading liquor from their private vehicles into the bar, in violation of the Illinois Liquor Act.

On Aug. 11, officers encountered a driver sleeping in a running vehicle, who told police he had just come from the Gaslight. The driver was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of property damage, the amended complaint said. Permitting or allowing persons to drink in excess at a liquor establishment is a violation of the village’s liquor code

The bar was again the source of alleged multiple complaints this past weekend, including fighting, noise and littering. Early Sunday morning, two bar patrons were seen speeding and driving recklessly down Cicero Avenue, causing a multi-vehicle accident that killed a 66-year-old woman and left her 30-year-old son fighting for his life, police said. Both drivers were arrested and are facing reckless homicide charges.

Just before midnight Wednesday, Oak Lawn police were called to the bar to assist with a party bus at the Gaslight. Apparently, bus patrons had been advised not to enter the bar. Police said security at the bar was unable to resolve the matter. The officers also noted there were “too many people inside” the bar to accommodate the bus, which left after police arrived on the scene.

The village liquor commission was finalizing a settlement agreement with the owners last week. Following Sunday’s fatal accident, Vorderer directed the attorneys to end settlement discussions and proceed with a liquor license revocation hearing.

“We tried to work with the bar’s owners and managers, but there clearly is a disconnect there, and we aren’t going to risk another tragedy happening as a result,” Vorderer said, adding that the village trustees unanimously support the decision.