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• Full Finding Aid
• Overview
• Arrangement
• Scope and Contents
• Other Finding Aids
• Access Restrictions
• Access Terms

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New York State Moreland Commission on the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law Investigation Files

Some content may contain outdated and offensive terminology. See: New York State Archives Statement on Language in Descriptive Resources

Overview of the Records

Arrangement

Check forms:grouped by county.

Case files:alphabetical by name of licensee.

Scope and Content Note

The commission compiled these files to track its investigation of violations of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law by liquor licensees, their employees, and others. Many of the copies of documents and data in these files were gathered from files of the State Liquor Authority.

The series includes: 1) "check form[s] for examination of package store removals" containing information on licensees applying for change in location specified by their liquor store licenses, providing: license application background; licensee's license history, including any violations or complaints on current or prior license(s); reasons for wanting removal; objections of neighboring licensees in proposed new location; whether local Alcoholic Beverage Control Board approved or disapproved the application, and why; State Liquor Authority actions on the application (e.g. interviews held; application granted or denied); remarks concerning any unusual materials found in the files; 2) summary reports of investigations of licensed premises by State Liquor Authority investigators, compiled from State Liquor Authority files, describing the physical facility, type of clientele, any violations (e.g. "sales to intoxicateds," "solicitation for immoral purposes," "lewd and indecent acts"), how licensee financed the business, and any criminal record of the licensee; 3) investigation case files including: license history (application dates, approvals, denials, violations, revocations, etc.); licensee employment record; personal history; financial statements; corporate report (corporate organization, stock issued, indebtedness, etc.);

investigation report describing the neighborhood, premises (exterior and interior), bar, kitchen, and any police record of the premises; deposition by applicant stating why "public convenience and advantage will be served by the granting" of a license; correspondence from rejected applicants requesting a hearing and giving reasons why license should be approved; Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control violation and warning notices to establishments citing violations of specified sections of the Alcoholic Beverage Control Law; police memoranda reporting arrests made at licensed premises, and related Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control investigation reports concerning arrest incidents; transcripts of State Liquor Authority hearings to review disapproval of license applications; and 4) investigation files regarding investigation of suspicious financial practices relating to granting of license applications and license removal applications, including: transcripts of testimony before the commission by subjects of the investigation; copies of financial records; and memoranda describing financial transactions.

Other Finding Aids

Available at Repository

Container list is available at the repository.

Access Restrictions

All investigative materials in Moreland Act commission records are indefinitely restricted pursuant to Executive Law sect. 6 and 63.8 and Civil Rights Law sect. 73.8. Requests for access to such materials are referred to the Governor's Office.

Private hearing materials: Restricted; Executive Law, Section 63.8.

Personal background information on individuals: Restricted; Personal Privacy Protection Law, Section 96.1.c and personal privacy exemption of Freedom of Information Law, Section 87.2.b.

Access Terms