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Sun, December 9, 2007  
 
Fall of The Empire?Cabaret closed following pair of violent incidents  
By ROSS ROMANIUK, SUN MEDIA  
 
Have the good times dried up at The Empire?  
 
Three weeks after a fatal stabbing that led to The Empire Cabaret's closure, the downtown nightclub is facing a licence hearing that could shut it down for good.  
 
But Lisa Holowchuk, executive director of Exchange District BIZ, said the nightclub's possible demise, following several violent incidents at local bars in recent months, won't cast the area in a poor light or stall its progress.  
 
"There is still private investment in nightclubs downtown," she said. "Folks will either go to different clubs in the area or hopefully be open to anything new that happens at The Empire, or other development that takes place down here."  
 
Sabino Tummillo, proprietor of The Empire, has closed the Main Street bar since the Nov. 18 fatal stabbing of 24-year-old Jeff Engen.  
 
 
The Manitoba Liquor Control Commission will hold a public hearing Jan. 7 into an allegation the bar has breached conditions of its cabaret licence. The process could result in certain conditions being imposed, such as an earlier closing time, or suspension or even cancellation of the licence.  
 
Winston Yee, MLCC inspection services manager, refused to reveal the specific allegations against the club. He did, however, confirm that they pertain in part to the fatal stabbing and to an Oct. 21 shooting in which four bystanders were shot at The Empire in a suspected gang dispute.  
 
BLASTED POLICE  
 
Like the MLCC, Winnipeg police say their continuing investigation into the November stabbing has nothing to do with the fact The Empire has been closed since the tragedy.  
 
Police continue to search for suspect Richard Brass, 22, in connection with the October shooting. No one has been arrested in Engen's death.  
 
When contacted by Sun Media last week, Tummillo said he was too busy to talk and said he would call back, but did not.  
 
After the October shooting, Empire spokeswoman Tina Rosenberg publicly blasted police for what she charged was a failure to adequately patrol downtown to prevent similar incidents. The club also beefed up security measures after the shooting.  
 
Holowchuk said she approves of Tummillo's decision to keep The Empire's doors closed, at least for now.  
 
"The owner needs to regroup after the two serious incidents," she said. "I don't think we'll see that establishment closed forever, though."  
 
Coun. Russ Wyatt, head of city hall's downtown development committee, said the public must keep its sights on the area's positive projects like residential and commercial construction rather than let violence tarnish the area's image.  
 
"We can't let the bastards get us down," he said.  
 
"We have to have faith in what we're doing here. We have to believe in the future of our city. Winnipeg would be a lot poorer if we abandon downtown."