SLA Issues Emergency Suspension for M Lounge in the Bronx

Albany, NY – The New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) summarily suspended the liquor license of M Lounge Restaurant, located at 2362 Jerome Avenue in the Bronx. The suspension was ordered by Chair Lily Fan and Commissioner Edgar De Leon at a special meeting of the Full Board on July 24, 2026. Effective immediately, no alcohol may be sold or consumed on the premises.

The emergency action follows the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old man inside the basement of the licensed premises at approximately 4:26 a.m. on July 16, 2026. Evidence collected by the New York City Police Department and reviewed by the SLA includes surveillance video showing multiple armed individuals and patrons inside the establishment at the time of the shooting. Surveillance video reviewed by the SLA also shows that, after the shooting, the victim was carried from the basement and placed on the sidewalk and that individuals associated with the premises cleaned the area before police arrived. On July 21, 2026, NYPD formally requested that the SLA summarily suspend the license.

The SLA charged M Lounge Restaurant Corp. with 21 violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law, including operating a disorderly premises and failure to supervise.

“The loss of life inside this establishment, together with the serious failures in security and supervision documented in the evidence presented to the Authority, requires immediate action to protect the public,” said SLA Chair Lily Fan. “I am especially grateful to the NYPD detectives and officers who worked closely with our Enforcement Bureau and provided critical evidence while continuing to conduct an active homicide investigation. Their extraordinary cooperation allowed the Authority to act without delay.”

The State Administrative Procedure Act authorizes a state agency to summarily suspend a license when the agency finds that public health, safety, or welfare require emergency action. When the SLA summarily suspends a license, it also serves a Notice of Pleading alleging one or more disciplinary violations. In invoking a summary suspension, the SLA has deemed the alleged violation to be sufficiently serious upon initial review to warrant an immediate suspension. The SLA’s decision to summarily suspend a license is not a final determination on the merits of the case. The licensee is entitled to a prompt hearing before an Administrative Law Judge.