Gun, drugs — and bocce ball court — reportedly found at NW Side social club on Addison Street near Shabbona Park
by BRIAN NADIG
A gun and drugs allegedly were found at about 11:10 p.m. Tuesday, March 21, inside a building at 6841 W. Addison St. that reputedly houses social clubs, including one with a bocce ball court, according to 16th (Jefferson Park) District police.
Officers reported that while on patrol they noticed multiple people inside a suspected unlicensed social club, with the name Cafe Molisano on the storefront, and conducted a premise check, according to police.
The officers knocked an the door and were let inside and asked one of the occupants for a city business license, which was not produced, and a license citation was issued, police said.
The officers asked the occupants if they knew anything about a recent report of gunshots in the area, police said.
The club members reportedly told the officers they had no knowledge of the gunshots but that they share the building with a second group that has a bar and a bocce ball court in another room, which was the officers were let into, police said.
The officers reported that they saw a woman sleeping on a mattress in the room and observed in plain view drugs, drug equipment and a semi-automatic pistol, which had no visible serial number, police said.
Officers confiscated the gun, about 30 grams of suspected marijuana and the following which police described as “drug/narcotic equipment:” two plastic trays, two scales, rolling paper, a white metal mirror and straws, police said.
The woman reportedly told officers that the room is used as an after-hours club and that entrants usually pay a $10 cover charge, police said.
On March 24 the city Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection issued cease and desist orders for operating without a public place of amusement license, retail food establishment license and consumption-on-premises license to the establishment doing business as “Café Molisano” at 6841 W. Addison, the department said.
In addition, since 2021 about 20 building code citations have been issued in connection with the two-story building, according to the city Department of Buildings. The citations included a failure to maintain the parapet wall in good repair, a failure to maintain the chimney in a safe and sound working condition and construction work in the basement with a permit permit, according to the department’s Web site.
Also in the district, police reportedly have looked into an allegedly unlicensed massage parlor at 5255 N. Central Ave. that in a recent online advertisement listed abbreviations for several sex-related services offered at the establishment.
