Packed like sardines, with jello shots
Albany police say they busted a college house party Saturday and it's the usual allegations: alcohol to minors, charging for admission, jello shots, bad beer. And then there's this part (emphasis added):
Officers responded to 556 Washington Avenue this past Saturday evening for a large party inside one of the apartments. When they arrived shortly after 11:00 p.m. they found over 300 people stuffed inside a student's apartment.
After taking a look at the building on Google Streetview, we're guessing a floor-through apartment probably isn't any bigger than about 1,200 square feet. Yep, that's no more than 4 square feet of personal space. Cozy.
The APD figures the people hosting the party, who reportedly identified themselves as UAlbany students, raised about $1700 by charging at the door and for jello shots. Who says young people aren't motivated and entrepreneurial these days?
The full press release is after the jump.
photo: Flickr user andrewmalone
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APD press release: part at 556 Washington Avenue
Albany police arrested three college students for holding a house party for over 300 people, providing alcohol to minors and selling it without a liquor license Saturday evening.
Officers responded to 556 Washington Avenue this past Saturday evening for a large party inside one of the apartments. When they arrived shortly after 11:00 p.m. they found over 300 people stuffed inside a student's apartment.
During the investigation officers found that Francis Lewis, 20, Samantha Lauri, 19, and Valerie Dellacerra, 20, had co-hosted a party at Lewis's Washington Avenue apartment. They were charging five dollars for admission to the party and charging one dollar for vodka jello shots.
Besides the jello shots the students also provided Keystone Beer for anyone who paid to get into the party. Among the large crowd was a number of underage people who were at the party drinking.
Lewis was charged with Selling Alcohol to Minors, Criminal Nuisance 2nd and Selling Alcohol Without a License under the Alcohol Beverage Control Law. Lauri and Dellacerra were both charged with Selling Alcohol to Minors and Selling Alcohol Without a License.
Lewis was charged with Criminal Nuisance 2nd for keeping his oven burners on continuously with liquor nearby, which created a fire hazard and endangered the large number of people inside the apartment.
Over $1600 was collected at the door by the three to get into the party as well as over $100 for selling jello shots.
The students all listed UAlbany as the school they currently attend.
They were all arraigned in Albany City Criminal Court Sunday morning.
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Comments
I've never heard of charging money for a party - is that the new thing?
... said Barold on Oct 24, 2011 at 7:49 PM | link
I did that in college/slightly after college. I never made that much money - but I also never got busted And I would never have that many people allowed in.
... said Lola on Oct 24, 2011 at 9:30 PM | link
ya know it may have been illegal, but i'm impressed not only with their entrepreneurial spirits but with all 300 students determination to get a cheap buzz on in a cramped apartment (cue Beasty Boys "fight for your right")
i'm also happy to see that the price of a college house party hasn't gone up too much since my days in the SUNY system. it makes me feel like cracking open a can of Genny Cream Ale.
... said colleen on Oct 24, 2011 at 9:56 PM | link
That's how fraternities got big before they upped the drinking age.
... said mr slow loris on Oct 24, 2011 at 10:54 PM | link
From the looks of it, students from the business college.
... said Jerry on Oct 25, 2011 at 8:21 AM | link
I guess going to a party school had its advantages; our fraternities, let alone individuals, would never have dreamed of charging for a party. It just wasn't done. If someone brought you some extra booze or beer, you sang them a song or something.
Personally I wonder if PCU is the favorite film of any of the hosts?
... said ajw93 on Oct 25, 2011 at 9:24 AM | link
I remember paying for parties in Albany in 1991, 92, 93 as an underage drinker. Once your group of friends has a few who have turned 21 or have other reliable access to alcohol, the paid parties generally stop.
... said Kerosena on Oct 25, 2011 at 9:43 AM | link
Throw a party and raise $1,700?! Why haven't I thought of that?
... said Kristi on Oct 25, 2011 at 10:01 AM | link
Oh yeah, we even charged for parties in high school. $5 a head for the night was average. Hey, I went to school in a small town! There was nothing else to do!
... said Summer on Oct 25, 2011 at 10:54 AM | link
I never heard of *not* charging for a party--that keg doesn't pay for itself, after all!
unless someone is going to Richie Rich U., who has the $$ to buy all the booze for 300 of their closest friends?!
... said Rebecca on Oct 25, 2011 at 11:10 AM | link
"Lewis was charged with Criminal Nuisance 2nd for keeping his oven burners on continuously with liquor nearby, which created a fire hazard and endangered the large number of people inside the apartment."
So, not only were 300 people in this apartment, all radiating heat, but the oven burners were on? I can't imagine getting drunk would be worth that at any age.
... said Herfwerf on Oct 25, 2011 at 11:59 AM | link
Back in my college days at UAlbany (early 80's) each house sort of "took turns" hosting a party - buy a keg and some cups and spread the word. The next week someone else would host - we never charged money. In my opinion, it no longer qualifies as a "party" if you are charging.
... said Barold on Oct 25, 2011 at 12:01 PM | link
Um, they were all underage... where did they get the keg?
... said melissa on Oct 25, 2011 at 12:24 PM | link
I'm very glad my friends and I did not grow up in the current environment. We would have all been in jail instead of having jobs, raising kids and paying property taxes.
... said JoeAlbany on Oct 25, 2011 at 1:15 PM | link
reminds me of my college days. ah, house parties.
... said Jen on Oct 25, 2011 at 1:24 PM | link
I can tell you that this was pretty much the norm when I went to Albany 5 years ago. It was common on a weekend to find out through word of mouth about a couple of house parties in the student ghetto that were charging $5 a cup for beer. We would often check these out and try to find one that was the least crowded and had beer left. Often times, these parties would be so packed (100 people or more in a 3 bedroom apartment in a two family house) that we would leave and try to find another house party. I am quite surprised that these people were actually arrested for their house party. It was quite common for the cops to break up these parties but they would simply tell everyone to go home and yell at the tenants (and possibly give them a ticket). I never heard of anyone getting arrested for their house parties even though it was often the same people throwing these parties week after week (even if they were broken up in the past by the cops). I guess Albany wants to make it seem like they are cracking down for once though I can definitely tell you that the cops were always extremely lax when it came to going after students for various drinking violations (though I imagine things may have changed since the kegs and eggs riots).
... said a on Oct 30, 2011 at 11:25 AM | link