Lounge won't try to keep license

By DALE VINCENT
New Hampshire Union Leader Staff
Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009                 Share on Facebook

MANCHESTER – The owners of Three Cousins Pizza and Lounge will not challenge the revocation of their business license, their attorney has told City Clerk Matt Normand.

The city sought to close the business, at Wilson and Somerville streets, after a drug raid Oct. 21. Three people were arrested on cocaine charges.

"For all intents, (the licensee) cannot apply for a license at that location for one year," said Normand.

A hearing on the lounge's liquor license is still on for Monday at 1:30 p.m. in the City Hall aldermanic chambers. The state liquor commission's chief enforcement officer, Eddie Edwards, said that's because if the license was not revoked, the licensees could apply to have it transferred to another location.

Edwards said yesterday he's spoken with Three Cousins' attorney, Rodkey Craighead, and was told the principals, Alex and Chris Stamoulis, have closed the business.

If someone seeks to establish another business serving liquor at the Wilson Street location, Edwards said, background checks would be made to determine whether there was any connection between the former owner and the applicant.

> Guinta seeks action after multiple drug raids (91)
> Three arrested in one of five city drug raids (15)
> 15 arrests in broad coke probe (2)

Normand said the business license for Three Cousins LLC was pulled Thursday for endangering public health, welfare and safety. He said the city would also conduct an investigation if someone applied for a license for a similar business in the building.

Mayor Frank Guinta and Police Chief David Mara Wednesday unveiled a plan for increased patrols and other efforts to weed out drug traffic and improve the quality of life in the neighborhood around Three Cousins.

"We have a short-term plan and a long-term plan," Guinta said yesterday.

Guinta hailed the owners' decision to close Three Cousins.

"I think this is a win for the people of the neighborhood and a win for the people of the city," he said. "We're very serious about this. . . . We're putting people on notice" that the city has the necessary resources and will use them against drug traffickers.

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Dale Vincent is an irresponsible journalist. While three cousins was a miserable hole and while it is good that it is closing, I nevertheless find any story by this particular man to be dubious at best. He almost never follows up with the appropriate parties, never does the necessary investigation to make sure all of his facts are straight and is more or less a simple gossip columnist disguised as a crime reporter.

*** Editor's note: In our opinion, she is an accurate and diligent reporter. ***
- N, Manchester

And the pizza was awesome and the steak and cheese!!!!! To each their own.
- fed up, bedford, nh

I sit and I read all this yet its obvious half the people writing do not know the owners personally. Did anyone stop to think that the owners trusted their employees and Caroline (Day bar-manager) who had been there for 19 yrs to run their establishment. Like most business owners they allow someone else to run their establishment. Unfortunately they allowed the wrong person. The owners would help anyone in need and are very family orientated people. They are great guys and I know them personally for many years. You act like you know them and obviously you don't. What's done is done and let it be. People in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Until you know them don't assume. The owners are great samaritans and would never sit back and allow someone to do illegal activities out of their establishment. They trusted the wrong people. Don't judge a book by their cover. I care deeply for the owners and they have been their for me in a time of need and cared. Guess its a sin to trust people and find out you were wrong. Sure they realize now. But to all you who want to judge obvious you never met them or knew them. Don't run your chops about people you don't know and base your opinion on the media. God forbid the media doesn't print the whole truth but then would it be news if they told the whole truth. Don't think so. Negative media sells papers. Not the truth sometimes.
- fed up, bedford, nh

I have lived in this neighborhood for 19 years and boy has it changed for the worst. I am sooooo happy this scum hole is closed for good and its about damn time...I don't even like to go to Pigeon's market because there is always wanna be thugs hanging out there. I agree with Tonya, put MPD there and hopefully we can get once upon a time nice neighborhood back :)
- J, Manchester

Any chance of turning it into a community center, police substation, or other public service station?
- Tonya Ferrara, Manchester NH

One less pizzas shop is not a problem.
- Harry, Atkinson

So its funny that everyone wants to say thank you to the MPD and the Mayor. What you don't know is that the neighborhood has been telling the city this for years. And I agree that they should talk to the lanlords. But lets just tell them that they need to clean up their buildings and start renting to people with jobs and want to take pride in where they live. Nothing will come of this because of where it falls in Ward 7. Our alderman doesn't care and neither does the city they jst want to tell everyone about the one thing they have done. WHOOPPIIIEEE
- RT, Manchester

What about the autobody shop in the same building or the wife's hair salon that was voted best in the state for 2009???????????
- Diane, Manchester NH

Never will you find a more wretched hive of scum and villany.
- William M, Manchester

Yes it is the same place that the Shooting took place several years ago. And it is also the Same place they plugged the toilet with Crack during a raid back when Baines was mayor. The Difference is now we have a Mayor that cares about the city and is willing to Shut down places that are less than Desirable.
- Tim, Manchester

It will be sold off to a friend and it will re-open under a new name. Watch and see! Happens all the time. I suspect they've gone down without a fight because they already got their new plan in place.
- Jon, Manchester

Hey... maybe they can make pizza for the schools... minus the other stuff of course
- Jim, MAnchester

Is this not the same place that the Outlaw shot the Angel af few years ago?
- jason, tampa, fl

Now is the time to talk with the landlords of that area to see if a joint effort can be made to bring in a positive change to that neighborhood. Currently the laundromat and other businesses have been closed for some time. There is only few small business owners left in that area. It would be nice to see a family restaurant go in to help promote the area and bring about a family enviroment. Maybe the Mayor or future Mayor of the city could hold a meeting at the Firestation to get a sense of what people would like to see in their neighborhood.
- Robert M Tarr, Manchester

I'm not entirely certain that 3 cousins was noted for serving good pizza or food for that matter. It was more of a hole in the wall watering hole that catered to the less than desirable that could occupy a barstool or table and conduct their other transactions in life and I don't mean just pass around the Coca Cola bottles.

I can just hear it now "what????!!! we gotta hire a cook to stay in business????"
- Jack Alex, Manchester

They should have been shut down for serving such awful pizza in the first place YUCK!
- Jim D, Hillsboro


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