TOMS RIVER, NJ—When a new local business has problems and faces closure and eviction, it’s often a drag for the community, but on Thursday, when Roxy’s Bar and Grille announced its closure and an eviction notice was posted on the front door, it didn’t surprise many people.
The bar, which opened at the site of the former Charlie Brown’s restaurant at the intersection of Hooper Avenue and Kettle Creek Road, was closed on Thursday, and an eviction notice was posted.
The eviction case against Roxy’s began in December of 2023 when the business had accrued $33,916.39 in unpaid rent to landlord IVD Properties, LLC. The bar owners requested a stay on an eviction order this month based on an alleged hardship, but that request was denied by Judge John M. Doran, citing, “The defendant’s application for a stay of the lockout is denied as this is a commercial matter.”
Now the business, according to court documents is facing as much as $50,000 or more in unpaid moneys to their landlord.
P.T. Barnum once said, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”, but in the restaurant industry, bad publicity is always bad publicity. Bad news started for the business when an associate of known New York City mobsters assaulted the owner and threatened to burn the place down.
According to police, the owner of the bar reported he and his wife were threatened by mobsters from the Gambino crime family and confronted outside the restaurant on September 1st. According to the Department of Justice, two men who are now facing federal charges confronted the couple and threatened to burn down the restaurant.
Shortly after the incident, ten members of the Gambino crime family were indicted in a case related to the incident at the bar. People began suspecting something bigger was happening at Roxy’s as it appeared to be tied up somehow in this massive international FBI mob investigation.
A federal court in Brooklyn unsealed a 16-count indictment against ten individuals charged with racketeering, extortion, and other crimes in an attempt to control the New York carting and demolition industries. The defendants, alleged members, and associates of organized crime, including the Gambino family, were taken into custody ahead of arraignments before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ramon E. Reyes, Jr.
Two of the accused were identified as the men who made the threats at the Toms River restaurant.
The operation involved collaboration with Italian authorities, and six more individuals were arrested for related criminal activities. An extensive investigation led to the execution of search warrants and the confiscation of multiple firearms linked to an associate of the Gambino crime family.
Among those indicted are Joseph Lanni, Diego Tantillo, Angelo Gradilone, and James LaForte, identified as members of the Gambino family, along with Vito Rappa, Francesco Vicari, Salvatore DiLorenzo, Robert Brooke, Kyle Johnson, and Vincent Minsquero, all purportedly connected to the family.
The incident at Roxy’s somehow eventually led to the arrest of several members of the Gambino crime family, a major development in the ongoing efforts to curb mafia activities in the region. The arrests had also prompted an FBI investigation, including the search for bodies at farms in upstate New York, believed to be connected to past mafia crimes.
No bodies were found.
In 2024, the bar began hosting drag queen shows. While the shows were popular and reportedly sold out, many in the primarily Republican and conservative community were not impressed with the bar’s new direction.
Problems got worse, culminating on Thursday with an eviction notice. The restaurant posted on social media that it was closed for the day. According to court records, unless the bar owners come to an agreement with the landlord, the eviction could be permanent.
A call to the restaurant went unanswered.