Neighbors Speak Out Against Violence, Underage Drinking and Police Response

The gunman who shot and killed a 23-year-old Bronx man on Myrtle Avenue on May 31 was an underage drinker who had just left the New Sapolo Restaurant, a bartender at the Fort Greene establishment said last night.

Bartender David Wong said that the shooter had been “persistently” asking for drinks, and that a bartender working that night had been fired and a manager reprimanded for serving to minors. Wong revealed the bar’s link between the killing of Antonio Wilson at a gathering of residents and business owners concerned about recent gun violence in the neighborhood.

Wong did not identify the shooter, whom he said was a “total stranger,” and police could not confirm his version of events.

More than 50 people, including representatives from the Brooklyn Borough President’s office and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office, attended the meeting organized by Myrtle Avenue Brooklyn Partnership, Myrtle Avenue merchants and the Ryerson Block Association.

Antonio Wilson had been leaving Fork Café with a group of friends when he was shot in the upper right arm and chest, reported DNAinfo. Two men outside New Sapolo Restaurant were in a heated argument before shots were fired, according to the police.

At least 30 shots were fired from 9mm and .380-caliber handguns in the shootout outside the New Sapolo restaurant at 501 Myrtle Avenue, cops said.

Police said they did not know what triggered the shooting or if a gang rivalry was involved.

At the meeting, residents voiced their growing frustrations about New Sapolo Restaurant’s alleged serving of alcohol to minors and the 88th Precinct’s response to the recent violence.

David Wong, a bartender from New Sapolo, said that the shooter, an underage teen, had been in his restaurant prior to the shooting. He said that the bartender who served him is no longer working at New Sapolo. He denied the allegations that New Sapolo serves minors, though he said that the staff has trouble controlling the large crowds of young people who frequent his restaurant.

“They bring in a large crowd of kids and when I don’t serve them alcohol, they tend to be very rebellious and then hang out outside of the restaurant and I can’t do much about it,” Wong said.

Wong also denied that his restaurant frequently serves alcohol to go, violating the terms of its liquor license.

“There’s been incidents when customers will take the glass along with the liquor and run out of the restaurant,” Wong said. “Technically the only way for me to resolve the situation is to give them a container cup and they walk out with it, otherwise they use force.”

Illiana Murray, one of the meeting’s organizers, told The Nabe that she had personally purchased a mixed drink in a to-go cup and allowed to leave the establishment. She also said that on Sunday she had been passing out flyers about the meeting, while watching customers leave New Sapolo with to-go cups of alcohol.

Laurie Cumbo, who is running to replace Letitia James on the City Council, said, “I think he recognizes at this time that his business is somewhat out of control.”

Residents said they are not happy with the 88th Precinct’s response and they have not seen an increase in police presence in the area since the shooting.

Local resident Steve Kadish, who lives across the street from New Sapolo, said that he’d seen a fight at 1:30 a.m. on Sunday outside New Sapolo that left a man lying in the middle of Myrtle Avenue. “It doesn’t change the fact that 88th Precinct has not been here. We need the police here patrolling, not after something occurs,” he said.

Captain Ceres John of the 88th Precinct had been invited to the meeting, but was detained due to an incident at the 75th Precinct, said MARP executive director Michael Blaise Backer.

Detective Martin Brown, a liaison from Police Commissioner Ray Kelly’s office, advised people to keep calling 311 and 911 to report illegal activity on Myrtle Avenue. Backer also recommended that concerned neighbors should attend the next 88th Precinct Community Council meeting at 7 p.m. on June 18 at 170 South Portland Avenue.

Neighbor Jorge Santos said he had personally been threatened by crowds outside New Sapolo and had called the precinct directly four times in the past year.

“I feel this could have been prevented,” he said.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated to remove quotes.