Local bar subject of public hearing

One of the few watering holes in Westwood is being called a
“public nuisance,” and is facing possible censure for
allegedly serving alcohol to underage patrons and because of fights
started in the bar, some involving UCLA football players.

Madison’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill is the subject of a
public hearing today, which could possibly result in the
establishment’s closure or restrictions placed on its
operations. The hearing has been called by the Los Angeles City
Planning Department, on the recommendation of the Los Angeles
Police Department, who said they have received complaints from
community members that violent behavior and underage drinking at
the bar are adversely affecting the area and endangering the public
at large.

Over the past year, Madison’s has been cited by the LAPD
multiple times for serving alcohol to underage customers, according
to Sergeant Carmine Sasso of the LAPD’s West L.A. Vice unit.
Sasso said his officers issued citations on an almost weekly basis
to either underage customers with fake I.D.s or to one of the
restaurant’s employees for serving them.

“The bottom line is these are issues that could be
controlled in certain steps,” Sasso said.

Sasso recently met with Milton Zampelli, Madison’s
proprietor, and discussed solutions for the problems
Madison’s has faced.

“They (West L.A. Vice) appreciated the difficulties of
operating a restaurant/bar in Westwood Village, especially when a
high percentage of your patrons are of student age,” Zampelli
said in a letter addressing the upcoming hearing.

“We discussed our concerns and they helped us with a
number of suggestions which we have since implemented. We are
optimistic that these changes will lead to our being a problem-free
location from this point forward,” Zampelli said in the
letter.

Zampelli was unavailable for an interview.

Sasso agreed that the meeting was successful.

Some Westwood residents criticize Madison’s as being a
historically troubled site.

“Selling to minors is a public safety issue,” said
Sandy Brown of the Holmby-Westwood Homeowners Association, of the
reports of the numerous violations.

Zampelli maintains that his employees do the best that they can
to keep underage customers out of the bar, and if employees are
caught selling to illegal customers in the future, they will be
fired.

But he also said that it’s very difficult to screen out
every fake I.D. when there are thousands of underage students
living nearby, with at least a portion of them having sophisticated
fake I.D.s.

Madison’s has had other problems besides the alleged
underage drinking. Over the past year, several fights broke out
involving UCLA football players, attracting attention from the
media and the community.

Last April, Ricky Manning, Jr., a senior cornerback and
All-American candidate, was involved in a fight outside of
Madison’s. Manning surrendered to the police after a warrant
for his arrest had been issued.

In May, reserve offensive guard Shane Lehmann was involved in a
fight at Madison’s. At the time Lehmann was working as a
security guard for the bar, though he was not on duty when he got
in the fight.

After Lehmann pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for the fight,
Head Coach Bob Toledo banned all player’s from patronizing or
working as security guards at “certain establishments”
historically presenting problems for them.

Zampelli and community members will provide testimony at the
hearing, which will be chaired by a representative from the Los
Angeles City Planning Department, which oversees land use and
zoning codes.

“The hearing will address the concerns of the (police)
department and the community,” Sasso said.

According to the public hearing notice given to property owners
in the surrounding area, the zoning administrator representing the
planning department could decide to place conditions on
Madison’s operations, or, in an extreme case, decide that the
establishment needs to be shut down.

The hearing will be held at 10 a.m. today in the West Los
Angeles Municipal Building, second floor hearing room, 1645 Corinth
Ave., Los Angeles.