LAVAL - Laval police were back in court Thursday trying to convince the province's liquor board to remove the license of Moomba Club, a notorious hot spot for late night crime.
The club is located at the Centropolis complex in Laval.
It's been around for almost a decade. A popular spot for the rich and famous in Laval, its owner claims Lady Gaga was once a guest.
But according to police the Moomba attracts a troublesome, usually wealthy clientele, including high-profile members of organized crime and even street gangs.
It's usually open from Wednesday to Saturday. But Laval police say situations get so out of control during the night that they often have to send as many as seven police cars to break up fights which often involve security staff themselves, and that puts a serious strain on police resources during the night.
Sergent-Detective Elise Briand, from the major crimes division, showed a surveillance tape Thursday filmed inside the club where several staff members are seen roughing-up a customer who didn't have enough money to pay his tab.
"If you don't find money to pay, we'll cut your fingers one by one with a cigar cutter," the young, frail man was told.
The man was eventually let go, but staff kept his wallet and cellphone and he was warned to come back and pay the balance.
A co-owner of the club told CTV Montreal that he did not approve of the way his staff handled the situation, and had some employees fired.
"He did not respect the procedure to work with customers" says Jacques Jaspo.
Jaspo also dismissed a police claim that one of his security guards, Claudio Rossi, was part of the inner-circle of the Rizzutto crime family. Police surveillance tapes show Rossi attending the funeral of presumed mob boss Nicolo Rizzutto last December.
Laval police say they've had to intervene nearly 400 times in the club's history.
