Fetish Club Owned By RI Commerce Board Member Faces Allegations About Violations
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
A number of promoters and a local artists have come forward with serious allegations about the club Manchester 65 that Commerce Corporation member Vanessa Toledo-Vickers owns. They allege that they witnessed the club violating code and creating safety situations -- Manchester 65 is just over a mile from the site of the tragic Station Fire that killed 100.
Earlier this year, the town of West Warwick raised serious concerns and cited the landlord and the owner of the club.
According to both State Corporation records and licenses filed with the town of West Warwick, Toledo-Vickers asserts that she is the sole owner of the club.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTOne former promoter who worked at Manchester 65, the Club that holds music and fetish events is alleging that he witnessed a number of business and safety violations while working at the club, including fire safety issues that left him “shaking his head.” Palmari said that he was brought on to work at club by Toledo-Vickers’ husband Jim Vickers, but left after a year.
The revelations come following the report from GoLocalProv that Commerce Corporation board member Toledo-Vickers is the owner of the club, while Commerce failed to mention her business interest in her bio.
“It’s her name on the dotted line only,” said promoter Jay Palmari, of Toledo-Vickers. “My concern is that the Commerce Corporation gives out small business loans, and they’re in up to their eyeballs at Man65." In an interview with Governor Gina Raimondo she defended Toledo-Vickers' involvement.
Raimondo said she knew of the club ownership -- and didn't see an issue with it not being disclosed on the Commerce website.
"Yes, we knew she owned the club," said Raimondo. When asked why the state didn't put it on the website bio for Toledo-Vickers, Raimondo said,"People could ask for her application. That's how it's always worked."
Safety Violations
“I was warned by people about working there, but I figured everyone’s always got something bad to say about someone, that’s the nature of things,” said Palmari, who said he worked at the club as a promoter, which opened in 2013, up until the spring of 2014. “And then I got trapped there.”
He also alleges that propane — and kerosene — heaters were brought into the converted mill space during shows.
“When I was there, we had no heat,” said Palmari. “There was a show....that the performer couldn't feel [their] fingers. [Vickers] had three propane heaters, and a kerosene one, when we did the Eve 6 show. I don't want to tell you things that aren't true...Eve 6 and Cassidy had propane heaters that blocked an exit, and another one on the side. One time the city showed up, and with their uniforms, and Vickers told everyone just to toss it in back room and say it was the landlord’s if asked.”
In an abbreviated interview with GoLocal, Vickers said, “Yes, there was a point when the heat went out. We took a commercial generator, and we blew hot air in. It's a non-story.”
More than a year after Palmari said he witnessed propane lamps being used in the club, the Kent County Daily Times reported on March 23, 2015 that West Warwick fire officials found violations on the premises after responding to an alarm.
The Times reported that landlord Chuck Melino took responsibility for roof and sprinkler issues - but that Melino said a kerosene lamp found in a closet was Vickers'.
"The fire and sprinkler system are now in compliance," the Times reported Melino as saying. "As for the other violations, including the kerosene heater and the couch blocking the means of egress, that's Vickers."
"Why is there a full kerosene heater in the closet?" Melino further questioned in the article. "And I have storage space in that area behind that door where that couch sits. I frequently go in that space. What if there was a fire? I'd have no means of getting out."
An artist who performs at clubs throughout Rhode Island, Dante Gazerro, hop-hop artist and CEO of Project 5 Star, said had been blacklisted from the club following allegations from Vickers. "I’ll never go Manchester 65 (anymore) — I don’t care if they paid $100K. I’ve never been treated like that. I've done Columbus Club, Fat Squirrel. I thought if I got this treatment from other clubs, maybe it's me. We just get respect. I own Project 5 Star, and I’ve gotten nothing but praise (from other clubs)."
“I was told the sound equipment would be upgraded, but as soon as the money went in, it went out -- never back in to the place. Everything was borrowed. The guys who did the bathroom took [Vickers] to court. The sound equipment was from Club Hell, he was supposed to put a $40,000 system in, never did. There were often water shut-offs,” said Palmari. “She works for Commerce, and she's the legal owner of the club most likely because he has an arrest record.”
Vickers had previously provided documentation to GoLocal at his wife had disclosed the ownership in the club to the state, which the Commerce Corporation did not list in her bio on the website.
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