Adams Selectmen Suspend Mountain Club Alcohol License

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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]The Selectmen suspended the Mountain Club's license for two weeks after its officers were involved in a fight.

ADAMS, Mass. — The Selectmen has suspended the Mountain Club's alcohol license for two weeks after an altercation involving club officers earlier this year.

The board, acting as the licensing authority, held a show-cause hearing last week to decide whether to punish the club after a fight that occurred in March involving two club officers, a trustee member, and a guest.

"It's inevitable some bars are going to have fights, but the severity of this is what warranted my action," Police Chief Richard Tarsa said. "In this particular case not only did we have the president of the club and the board of directors involved, but they instigated it … the club president should be held to a higher standard than the rest of the club."  

Tarsa explained that police responded to the club at 9:17 p.m. on March 28 after a bartender called reporting a fight. Officer Brenna Dorr and David Dean responded as the fight was winding down.

According to the report filed by Dorr, trustee Norman Mongeau was sitting at the bar when he was approached by club President Charles Massaconi, who demanded Mongeau return his son and board of director member Mathew Massaconi's keys. Mangeau told Dorr he believed Mathew Massaconi had taken his car without permission and stolen $40 from the vehicle. He refused to return the keys until the money was returned.

Tarsa said the older Massaconi became aggressive with Mongeau, eventually knocking him to the floor. Mathew Massaconi then joined the fight and struck Mongeau in the head with what appeared to be a beer bottle. The fight continued and club officer Lisa Delmolino joined in along with Jackie Garvie.

When the officers arrived, the fight was over but they took statements from those involved and patrons.

Tarsa said the altercation was caught on the club's security camera system and Dorr was able to view the tape with the assistance of Mitchell Massaconi, Charles' son and the only one with access to the club's security system.

During the viewing, Dorr reported that Mitchell identified his brother as the one who struck Mongeau with a bottle and said once he learned how to copy the video, he would provide the police with it.

Dorr attempted to retrieve the tape at a later date but Mitchell Massaconi did not cooperate. Dorr later found that segment of the tape had been erased.

Tarsa added that Mongeau is medically diagnosed as disabled and although he refused treatment, he had to visit the hospital after passing out at home.

Criminal charges were brought against those who assaulted Mongeau.

Attorney Mark Brennan, representing the Mountain Club, said Mongeau was the aggressor and that he had threatened Charles Massaconi and his family, claiming this was reaffirmed to him by witnesses. Mongeau bit Massaconi's thumb "right down to the bone," he said, and that he was later hospitalized. Mongeau was not charged but Massaconi is pursuing him in court.

The keys, he said, were actually Massaconi's and were to his house, car, and post office box. He added Massaconi is also disabled having had open heart surgery.

"Mr. Massaconi had to go through rabies shots, AIDS tests, hepatitis test, and everything else because he got bit and the skin was punctured right to the bone," Brennan said.

He said Mongeau returned to the bar the next day and legal action was taken to revoke his trusteeship.

He added that Garvie and Delmolino were attempting to break up the fight and were not involved.

Dorr said she did notice the bit thumb but the biting was not visible in the recording and according to the tape, Massaconi was the aggressor.

"Although there was no audio in the video, by looking at two people, you can tell who the aggressor is and based on his action in the video I formed the impression that he was the aggressor," Dorr said. "That information was also what I took from the victim and the bartender."

Brennan questioned the report because Dorr was the only one to see the tape, that no one at the club really knew how the security system worked and that Mitchell Massaconi was not in charge of it.

Brennan also asked Dorr to affirm that the police took the security system without a warrant.

Dorr explained that because the system records over itself after a period of time and Mitchell was no longer responsive, they could take the system without a warrant because they did not want to lose the evidence. She said this is when they discovered the tape was erased.

Selectman Jeffrey Snoonian said a lot of the questions and charges "belong in a courtroom." He said all that matters to the selectmen was that there was a fight between officers of the club.

"If I flipped it around and Mongeau was sitting there and there were charges I would have the same feeling," Snoonian said. "No matter who started it, who finished it, and who tried to break it up it seemed to me that most of the participants ... all hold office at the club and that's what is disturbing."

Brennan said this is a first time occurrence at the Club who is involved in charity and makes sure all bartenders are trained to respond responsibly to fights.

"The Mountain Club has been in existence for I think over 100 years, and they are actively involved in charitable organizations," he said. "They are involved in giving and this is a rare occurrence at the Mountain Club."

Brennan asked why other bars that have fights are not called before the selectmen and why the Mountain Club is being singled out.

Selectman Arthur "Skip" Harrington felt the event is not comparable to other bar fights.

"I don't care if there is something else that happened we aren't talking about all of the bars or restaurants in town, or in the state, or in the country," Harrington said. "There was a fight in a bar and the president was involved ... with other trustees and the board of directors. That is absolutely horrendous."

Chairman Richard Blanchard suggested a six-month suspension that would be reduced to 30 days if the club seeks new officers.

Harrington felt 30 days would suffice and Snoonian felt four to five days would be right.

The board compromised and agreed on two weeks starting the Wednesday, Oct. 14.

Brennan suggested he may try to appeal the ruling. 


Tags: license board,   license suspension,   

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