Why Visions Lounge went dry

   Mark Anthony Bentley isn't just a real estate agent, he's a club-owner too.
   But last summer Bentley's Vision's Lounge - sometimes known as the V-Lounge had its license suspended for one month.
   Its transgression lay in allowing street gang members to come into his establishment. Those specifically known as the Blue Crips that aim to rule Texas - that's what gangbangers call Lasalle.
   Cops urged the bar to impose a strict dress code - no bandanas or numbered T-shirts, etc - to keep gang members out.
   The history of gun incidents around the bar is significant. Oct 15-2005 gunshots were heard near the bar. January 7 2006 a taxi driver heard two clients outside arguing over a gun. January 8, 2006, gunshots in the parking lot, which led to four arrests on gun charges. 14 January 2006 gang member Marlon Roberts was found with drugs, same day a neighbour reported gunshots at a car outside. A police informant reported that gang members are showing weapons openly in the bar. 8 April 2006, gunshots were heard late at night in a bar where 250 sometimes packed the bar, which has a capacity of 174.
   But the club got cyber-overexposured when pictures went up on an unspecified internet site commemorating the special celebration in February 18 2007. (The bar doesn't appear to have a website right now). Cops look at such things and spotted Marvin Corbin hanging around the bar. Corbin is an alleged gang member convicted in taking part in a major shooting in 1992.
   On August 12, 1992 Corbin, aged 16 went along Beresford Carey, 22 and Kipling Collins 20 to an apartment on Beaucourt in Snowdon. The three men demanded marijuana. They didn't get any. So they shot Talbert White, 28, Julian James, 20 and Travais Paris, 17 with a machine gun. They died.
   Dorrel Simpson, 17, an army reserve, was also shot. In the head. He played dead and snuck out to the metro where he  got help and he testified against the three, although he couldn't say who actually did the shooting.
  After a 3 day trial in March 1995 the two adults were sentenced to 25 years in prison with no chance for parole. Corbin was given 10 years, the maximum for a minor.
   It's important to remind readers that the Visions had nothing to do with this or any other crime. The ownership, management, staff of Visions were simply deemed to have done too little to discourage the gang presence at the establishment.
   The provincial booze officials pulled the bar's liquor license for 30 days. Moral of the story - bar owners be careful who you let in and don't put anybody controversial on your website.
   For the entire file on the bar, check out this link.