Patte's Sports Bar loses liquor license

Maybe


According to the TL Pat Patte's license has not been renewed but he can appeal the decision and will almost certainly will. I predict that the place will keep it's license even if he loses the appeal by selling the place, on paper anyway, to one of his kids.


To refresh your memories Pat is serving 3 years probation for running a gambling operation out of the place and avoided having the business seized by the Feds by paying a $100,000 fine. As I pointed out earlier it was one of the worst kept secrets for years that you could place a friendly wager on a sporting event at Patte's among other North End bars in Wilkes-Barre. When I was a kid I got an education about the meaning of the point spread in the place.


You can but a lottery ticket a few blocks away or spend your unemployment check 2 miles to the north at the Mohegan Sun but you can't wager that the Patriots will beat the Dolphins by 3.

If you go there on a Monday night you can enjoy a great meal and my friend Jim Dougherty will direct you to the Men's room.


Patte's changed over the years going from a corner bar into a hangout for the local political elite.


I even ran into this guy on election eve in November 2010 at Patte's

Weekend update

I skipped blogging this weekend to do other things. But that doesn't mean that I don't have a few things on my mind.

I got a Happy Memorial Day message from Pat Toomey and other politicians today. I'm happy that I got a day off from work so I could grill burgers and dogs but I don't think that is the purpose of the holiday. Remembering our war dead is solemn thing and I have to agree with Another Monkey that the best way to honor them is to stop adding to the list.

The latest news from Corruption Junction is that Clerk of Courts Bob Reilly has resigned. He is working on his plea agreement as is Pat Patte. Those two have been around forever.

The really big news was on Saturday night when Roy Halladay threw a perfect game for the Philladelphia Phillies. It was only the 20th time in history that 27 batters came to the plate and they all made an out.The way the Phillies are hitting right now every pitcher has to throw a perfect game.

More to come.

Patte's Sports Bar

Pat is down in the Bahama's on a long planned trip and the Fed's are trying to seize his bar using forfeiture laws that are also used in drug cases that have been abused in many cases. He hasn't been convicted of anything yet but they are already trying to grab his property. No matter what your political stripe is you should find this action to be outrageous.

A Facebook group has popped up supporting him and the website he is accused of running is still online. Willtobet requires a login and password that I have never been privy to.

I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!

One of worst kept secrets in these parts is that you could make a friendly wager on sporting events at Patte's Sports Bar in the North End of Wilkes-Barre. When I was a little boy my dad would take me there occasionally on a Saturday afternoon for a burger and a soda to watch a baseball or football game. Listening to the chatter of the patrons I remember asking him "what is a point spread?"

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When I was a kid the place was just another corner bar that was later renovated and expanded and over the years the clientèle expaned from just the local working stiffs to include the who's who of the local Democratic Party. That seemed to accelerate after the closing of Aldino's Manor in East End.

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The owner Patrick Patte and an employee have now been charged with what amounts to bookmaking. The TL story suggest that they were wiretapped. I have seen many local politico's there over the years and many of them are now under indictment or copped a plea. It looks like they are all singing to the Feds trying to save their own asses and will give up a name no matter how unrelated to the government corruption that has been going on forever.

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A crime is a crime but you can legally gamble a few miles to the north at the casino in Plains that used to be called Pocono Downs. I think that the thing that should be investigated is how his kid got the job as the Coughlin High School football coach.

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The Blogfather wasn't impressed by the food or the atmosphere. I think the food is good and I always enjoy talking politics.