Rosemead : Karaoke Club Suspended

The City Council has forced a karaoke club to cease operations for two weeks for violating a city-mandated 3 a.m. closing time.

The council voted 5-0 Tuesday to suspend Amax KTV Karaoke’s entertainment permit until May 13. Without it, the club on East Valley Boulevard cannot organize its karaoke sing-alongs, or offer its popular cassette tape service, which allows customers to record songs in a soundproof room.

Joseph Micelli, the club’s lawyer, argued that the city had no proof that the 17 people reported by sheriff’s deputies as being on the premises after hours Feb. 9 were customers.

Deputies “did not hear anybody singing, they did not see anybody singing and they did not ask anybody if they were singing or, in fact, if they were customers,” he said.

However, Micelli said that, if a violation occurred, it was the fault of an employee who has since been fired. He added that club owner Gene Feng has promised to supervise closing hours in the future.