Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Page 17
Longhorn Life
Nightlife News By Alex Vickery
Photo by Alejandro Silveyra Yassine Enterprises La YASSINE ENTERPRISES LAWSUITS wsuitsDuring the course of a year, brothers Hussen Ali “Mike” Yassine, Mohammed Ali “Steve” Yassine and Hadi Yassine’s nightclub empire has fallen. The family-owned company, Yassine Enterprises, ran nine bars throughout Austin, including Kiss and Fly, Hyde, Pure and Treasure Island. In March, an FBI raid on their Sixth Street nightclubs led to the arrest of 10 employees on alleged drug distribution, money laundering and firearms charges, which resulted in the closure of eight Yassine-owned venues. In April, the Texas Comptroller’s office took possession of six of the downtown establishments, seizing assets in order to compensate for unpaid state taxes. The investigation is still ongoing, with charges against the Yassine brothers expected to grow. Jury selection is set to begin on October 1, which could push the trial back until the spring of next year. One suspect, Alejandro Melendrez has agreed to take a plea bargain for a narcotics charge relating to selling and distributing cocaine; resulting in 46 months in prison, three years of supervised release and a form of probation. A class action lawsuit was filed against Yassine Enterprises in January by more than 200 employees, claiming they were not paid their minimum wage and had to survive solely on tips. A $685,000 settlement was reached in June. In additional legal troubles for the Yassine brothers, the family of former UT soccer player Kylie Doniak filed a civil lawsuit against the company. Doniak was hit by 22-year old drunk driver Nicolas Colunga and suffered severe physical and brain injuries. Her family alleges that Yassine En-
terprises’ bar Fuel, as well as Vice, owned by Ckan Inc., continued to serve Colunga the night of the accident despite his apparent intoxication. Doniak’s family hopes to get financial assistance to cover the cost of extensive care for the 22-year-old, who is still recovering in her hometown of Chino Hills, California.
CHEER UP CHARLIE’S NOISE CURFEW East Sixth bar and music venue Cheer Up Charlie’s is at odds with the neighboring community due to recent noise violations. The Austin Music Commission recently met with a nearby neighborhood association to address the bar’s Outdoor Music Venue Permit but no conclusion was reached. Now, a new city ordinance has taken effect, subjecting any bar within 600 feet of residential property to an earlier cutoff time for outdoor amplified music. The venue’s owner, Tamara Hoover, and booker and sound manager Maggie Lea believe there should be a difference between live performance hours and programmed music; contending that they have only broken the set curfews with DJs or prerecorded music at lower sound levels. Last year a band shell was installed to reduce noise but some residents are still unsatisfied. Neighboring residents disagree with any sort of amplified sound coming from the bar after hours. According to the new sound permit for Cheer Up Charlie’s, hours for all outdoor amplified noise have now been restricted to 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The dispute has led to a crackdown on the noise curfew, which was previously 11:30
p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Cheer Up Charlie’s has appealed the new permit but a hearing date has not yet been scheduled.
STUDENT KILLED BY CAPITAL METRO In a tragic accident last April, University of Texas student Andy Wang, 22, died after falling underneath a Capital Metro bus. Wang was heading back from downtown Austin with a group of friends. He was intoxicated when, upon exiting the bus, he lost his balance and fell underneath as the vehicle was departing. He was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital and no charges were brought against the bus driver, who was unaware of the danger. FORMULA 1 AMPITHEATER The new Formula 1 racetrack will not only attract sports fans but now music fans, as well. Designs for the racetrack include a new concert venue that will join the ranks of some of Austin’s largest, like the Erwin Center and westward neighbor the Backyard. Organizers have already made deals with production giant Live Nation to bring in acts upon the 15,000-seat open-air amphitheater’s completion. It will be the largest of its kind in Central Texas, and will include a grass seating area. Its location at the base of a 22-story observation tower overlooking the racetrack earned the name Tower Amphitheater. Organizers hope to have the venue done by spring 2013, with plans to host large-scale concerts by national touring acts mostly during the summer months.