Latter day speakeasy

Given that yesterday's post was about a couple of numbskull/miscreant Boston Public School principals who scarfed up some Hamilton tickets donated to their school so that they and their kids (not Boston Publich School students, by the way) could attend, it may be that there is no dearth of numbskulls/miscreants among our fair city's public servants.

Today's proof point? A BPD officer and a fellow who works for the Boston Public Health Commission are up on charges that they were running "an illegal nightclub in a Jamaica Plain basement that offered bottle service, hookahs, and a DJ, according to court records and officials."

Bottles, and DJ's, and hookahs, oh my. Surprised that there weren't a few hookers on scene as well.

Anyway, a few years back, Richard McDermott (BPD) and Luigi D'Addieco (BPHC) rented out some space in JP, planning to run an HVAC company out of it. Now cops and other public servants moonlighting is nothing new, although in Boston it's hard to believe that a police officer with any werewithal at all couldn't pad his salary by taking advantage of the opportunities available to cops to "manage the traffic" at construction sites. (Based on my observations, these assignments involve cops standing around talking with construction guys or looking at their phones.) But maybe these guys just had the entrepreneurial urge and wanted to run their very own business. 

Anyway, the HVAC business was apparently a non-starter, so the enterprising duo set up an after-hours joint.

“The club had bouncers with magnetometers to screen patrons for weapons, a cover charge, bottle service where patrons paid over $100 for full bottles of liquor, Hookah service, a DJ to provide music and promoters who advertised the club on social media,” prosecutors wrote. Authorities said McDermott and D’Addieco were not licensed to serve alcohol. (Source: Boston Globe)

The illegal scheme was uncovered after a July 2021 shooting - outside the "club," where the magnetometers could do no good - a shooting which injured a bouncer. And here Mc Dermott and D'Addieco are, three years after the fact, at last being indicted. Justice delayed is, I guess, better than no  justice at all. And while I don't know a whole hell of a lot about criming, the charges they face seem at least a step or two up from trivial. 

McDermott was charged with witness intimidation, maintaining a gambling nuisance, and using criminal record information under false pretenses. D’Addieco was charged with withholding evidence from a criminal proceeding and maintaining a gambling nuisance, according to the district attorney’s office.

These charges don't seem to account for the fact that they were operating with a liquor license. Given how much liquor licenses cost, this has got to be a big no-no, but maybe it's "just" a civil deal and not criminal. As noted, I have blessedly limited knowledge of criming. Most of what I know I learned from watching Law and Order, Perry Mason, and Car 54, Where Are You. And reading Michael Connolly novels.

Anyway, after the 2021 shooting, when actual on-duty BPD officers showed up, they encountered McDermott - who was armed - who told the cops - who recognized him - that he had stopped into his brother-in-law's party and hadn't a clue what was going on. Which was misleading to say the least. During the investigation, D'Addieco is also alleged to have made false statements to detectives.

McDermott's certification to act as a police office was suspended once the indictment came down; the Health Commission has put D'Addieco on paid leave. 

The court date for the two is January 7th. 

Enjoy your holidays!