A strip club next to a convent lost its liquor license after years of effort from the sisters of a suburban missionary.
The nuns at St. Charles Borromeo battled unsuccessfully in court to shut down Club Allure in suburban Stone Park.
"This goes against our whole fiber, our whole being,” said Sister Noemia Silva. “It goes against what we believe as religious women."
The Stone Park liquor commissioner, Beniamino Mazzulla, who is also the mayor, ruled that the club was in violation of an ordinance which prohibits the issuing of a liquor license for businesses within 100 feet of a church.
Mazzulla declined to comment for this story citing ongoing litigation.
An attorney for the club, Robert Itzkow, said he believes he believes the decision was politically motivated “with very little legal backing.”
Thomas Brejcha said the sisters responded positively to the ruling.
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“It was celebratory and prayerful at the same time,” he said. “It's a milestone—it shows everybody is treated equally in court. Sometimes people have the sense that strip clubs always win—and this proves, no they don't.”
Club Allure has been closed for about two weeks because of unrelated financial problems.
