Lackawanna County District Attorney Brian Gallagher is asking the county court to shut down a bar in West Scranton he deems a nuisance.
The petition, filed Tuesday, follows multiple reports at Isla Paraiso Restaurant, 1001 S. Main Ave., including a firearm discharge over the weekend and a prior instance of a bullet striking a neighboring residence, he said in the court filing.
It names Paraiso Caribeno Corp. doing business as Isla Paraiso Restaurant, as well as Nicholas Tsioles, Cynthia Tsioles, and Franchesca N. Franco, as respondents to the petition.
The court ordered the bar to be temporarily shut down while the petition is pending, but Gallagher wants that closure to be permanent.
“These incidents raise serious public-safety concerns,” Gallagher said in a release. “Although the establishment appears to operate as a reputable lunch spot during the day, it becomes an after-hours nightclub operating until 2, 3, and 4 o’clock in the morning. The sale of alcohol, loud music, drugs, and illegal firearms are wreaking havoc in the neighborhood.”
The bar poses a risk both to residents and responding law enforcement officers, he said.
“We encourage and welcome businesses from anywhere that invest responsibly in the City of Scranton and in Lackawanna County, but when an establishment’s activities result in late-night disturbances, extended hours, and bullets flying in the roadway, we will pursue every appropriate legal remedy and act decisively to protect our residents,” he said.
“I will not wait for a tragedy to occur or for something horrible to happen before we take action.”
Judge Michael Barrasse is scheduled to decide the matter Thursday.