By Bill Parry
An Astoria strip club, the scene of a shooting last Friday, was temporarily shut down by the NYPD on orders from the Department of Consumer Affairs.
Club Purlieu, located at 36-04 34th St., was closed Thursday following a sweep by the 114th Precinct and several city agencies that turned up several violations.
The nightspot was where an unlicensed livery driver Roberto Castillo, 37, was shot in the head moments after he dropped off several passengers, according to police.
The wounded driver, bleeding heavily, crashed into utility pole at 35th Street and 37th Avenue, two blocks from the club and was taken to Elmhurst Hospital Center in critical condition.
City Councilmen Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) and Costa Constantinides (D-Astoria) are planning a rally outside the club Monday at 9 a.m. where they will call for the closure to be made permanent.
“The fight isn’t over, and the club might be allowed to re-open as soon as tonight,” Van Bramer said Friday. “We need to rally together to make sure the doors stay shut for good. Club Purlieu fosters violence, and it’s not the kind of business we want in our community or our city.”
The nightspot was the scene of a gang related brawl that left three people stabbed and many others were injured in 2015, according to state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria).
“It is evident that Club Purlieu is a danger to local residents and a detriment to our community’s quality of life,” he said. “The management of this club puts our community at risk, wastes resources and delivers a terrible message to our children. It is unacceptable.”
Reach reporter Bill Parry by e-mail at bparr
