BUFFALO, N.Y. — After a string of violent incidents in 2023, and recent sentencing of the man who shot and killed another man inside the club, Club Marcella is preparing to close the doors for good.
Owner Joe Marchelle took to Facebook to share photos of the club's closing efforts. The club's long history now marred by the violence, it was ordered to shut down by the city in December of 2023.
"We saw a lot of violence erupt in and around the surrounding area, and city officials and the local police and the SLA had to take it for the fact of the matter of as it was, and had to keep people safe," Fillmore District Councilmember Mitch Nowakowski said.
That deadly shooting is now being cited an a new wrongful death suit filed against Club Marcella. The family of Jorge L. Garcia-Leon claims that the club was "careless" and "reckless" in its handling of club operations, which they are attributing to the death of Garcia-Leon.
Councilmember Nowakowski, who is not involved in the suit, gave perspective on the questions surrounding the former club's security operations.
"If violence is occurring in and around this facility with high-priced, and class, and top-of-the-line security cameras and a large volume of security personnel, how are we ending up with murders that are happening with inside this establishment?" Nowakowski said.
As the building clears, there's new questions surrounding what will happen to the space. As of right now, there are no confirmed pans or sales regarding the building.
Nowakowski is open to the possibility of another bar or club taking over the space.
"I can imagine it being probably a nightclub and I'm not opposed to a nightclub if the operator shows the security cams, shows the measures that's in places and shows that they can bring in clientele and keep them safe," Nowakowski said.