Ed Pearce
ed.pearce@kolotv.com
VIDEO, http://www.kolotv.com/video/?autoStart=true&topVideoCatNo=default&clipId=7350689
With an aim at preventing the kind of violence that marred last Septembers Street Vibrations, John Ascuaga's Nugget is banning motorcycle club "colors."
SPARKS, NV - Ask anyone who has been around the event and they will tell you the people who show up for Street Vibrations are by and large every day folks who just happen to like to ride. All are welcome and few cause problems.
But we learned last September during the big fall event, there are elements in this crowd that can be volatile.
Tensions between members of the Hells Angels and the Vagos motorcycle gangs erupted into a brawl on the casino floor. Then shots were fired. One man, the president of a Hells Angels chapter was killed.
In the aftermath, Nugget officials looked for ways to keep it from happening again.
"We looked at shopping malls, public places. We talked with properties in Las Vegas, Laughlin," says Nugget Executive Vice President Stephen Ascuaga.
The result was a property-wide code of conduct, including a ban on any club "colors," the distinctive vests and other gear bearing club or gang logos that members wear.
"Really in posting no colors it was an opportunity to say 'here at John Ascuaga's Nugget we have a great environment, but here are the things you go by."
The policy was adopted months ago, but this spring rally will be its first test at such an event.
"We spent a lot of time with the Sparks Police Department how to handle this, how they would support us, but they would be there to help enforce it and actually we have had guests and they've been very understanding."
Out on the street, of course, bikers can wear what they please, but they will be asked to leave it at the door when entering the Nugget.
Others are making their own decisions. At least one other Victorian Square business, Great Basin Brewing, says it will follow the same policy.
