Noreen Healey

The New York Post's Steve Cuozzo today pleaded with state regulators not to revoke the liquor licenses of seven Cipriani restaurants and banquet halls around town:

It would...cost more than 1,000 jobs, leave our most iconic celebration spaces empty for the foreseeable future, and knock the fizz out of the city's culture of excess - the golden goose that keeps the talent-fleeing, jobs-hemorrhaging "Empire State" afloat.

Apparently, new State Liquor Authority (S.L.A.) commissioner Jeanique Green is a big Post reader.

This morning, Ms. Green cast the deciding vote to accept a $500,000 penalty in lieu of yanking the licenses, thus allowing the Cipriani empire to stay in business.  read more »

Lawyers for Spirit nightclub in Chelsea offered the State Liquor Authority 100,000 reasons--and by reasons, we mean dollar bills--not to take away the beleaguered venue's remaining right to serve booze just one night a week.

But SLA Chairman Dan Boyle said fuggetaboutit!

"This is one of the worst places I've seen in operation since I've been on the Board," Mr. Boyle stated in a press release. "To consider a fine to resolve this would be inappropriate."

Instead, the panel summarily suspended the alleged building-code-breaking, violence-prone, noisy drug den's liquor license on Wednesday.

Full release after the jump.  read more »