Opponents of Billy Dean’s planned entertainment facility in Wantagh have now taken their fight to his North Bellmore strip club.
Wantagh resident Kevin Milano has been organizing protest rallies this month in front of Billy Dean’s Showtime Café on 1538 Newbridge Rd. objecting to the business being granted cabaret and public assembly licenses when it advertises on its website as being “Long Island’s No. 1 strip club.”
Milano has also organized recent protest rallies in front of 3500 Sunrise Highway, Wantagh where Dean has plans to open a new business that many fear will also feature adult entertainment similar to his North Bellmore establishment. The Town of Hempstead Board of Zoning Appeals rejected Dean's cabaret application for 3500 Sunrise Highway in late August, but the decision is being appealed.
Milano said he became motivated to start protest rallies in front of Dean’s North Bellmore business, which opened in the late 90's, because of his belief that adult entertainment should not be featured in a residential neighborhood near schools. Milano, who has many friends in North Bellmore, made a formal complaint with the Town of Hempstead against Billy Dean’s Showtime Café on May 19 saying that the business was violating its cabaret permit by having topless dancers. He is hoping that the Town of Hempstead will deny Billy Dean’s Showtime Café a cabaret license when it is up for renewal in March.
“We’re going to fight him over there,” said Millano, who has held protests typically on weekends and Fridays this month. “We are not going to sit back idly.”
Hempstead Town spokeswoman Susan Pokalsky said the town’s Building Department has done recent undercover investigations at Billy Dean’s Showtime Café and has found no violations with nudity. The club was handed recent building violations for public assembly usage due to having parties in the basement, Pokalsky said. Dean recently applied for a variance with the state to use the basement for parties but was denied, according to Pokalsky.
“The Building Department has been vigilant,” Pokalsky said. “The town is taking this very seriously.”
Dean’s attorney Bill Cohn said he is disappointed in the protests that have been occurring both at his client’s planned Wantagh business and now in North Bellmore. Cohn said he is confident Dean will be granted a renewal of his public assembly license in North Bellmore when it expires on Nov. 15 and a new cabaret permit in the spring.
“Whatever violations are found by the building department will be addressed,” Cohn said.
