Six Hamptons Bartenders Arrested After Serving Underage Police Officers

Six bartenders in the Hamptons are in some hot water this summer after being arrested over the weekend for serving alcohol to minors. Hailing from three different bars – Dream nightclub in Hampton Bays, Nello Summertimes, and 75 Main in Southampton Village – the bartenders were the subjects to a series of undercover crackdowns on underage drinking at Hamptons hotspots.

The police caught the bartenders by sending an underage police agent into the establishments to try to obtain alcohol while plainclothes police officers were nearby to observe. Chief Thomas Cumming explained, “The agent was to present legitimate identification if asked and not to mislead the bar employees if confronted.”

The Saturday prior, a State Liquor Authority inspection at Nello’s revealed several additional violations, including a security guard who was unable to present his security license, state liquor licenses for both front and back bars hidden from view, and the liquor license not bearing the proper business name.

At the Southampton Social Club, however, the underage agent was not granted entry, even after numerous tries. The bartenders who had served alcohol to the undercover agents at the other establishments were all arrested on the spot, charged with unlawfully dealing with a child in the first degree and prohibited sale of an alcoholic beverage – both of which are misdemeanors – and released after posting $250 bail and being issued tickets to appear in court.