In a major crackdown on illegal activities plaguing San Francisco’s Mission, Excelsior, and Visitacion Valley neighborhoods, City Attorney David Chiu announced Wednesday the shuttering of five unauthorized gambling dens and nightclubs. Some of the locations had been hot spots for crime, ranging from robberies to shootouts.
The tenants of properties at 57 Leland Ave., 5530 Mission St., and 1201 Cayuga Ave. housed illegal gambling operations, while tenants of the properties at 3261 Mission St. and 4461 Mission St. hosted illegal after-hours nightclubs.
“It was weird, with people coming in and out all of the time,” said a person who lives across the street from the Cayuga property. “Sometimes people would be hanging around really early in the morning, like 4 or 5 a.m.”
While four of the locations are along commercial corridors, the Cayuga operation is in a charming residential pocket of the Excelsior, across the street from Balboa High School and James Denman Middle School.
The gambling den had made the corner a hotbed for crime in the last several years, according to an interactive map compiled by the San Francisco Police Department. Following an armed robbery at the property in July, the SFPD obtained a warrant and executed a search in September. Police seized 10 gambling machines and several money dispensers, suspected methamphetamines, and more than $2,700 in cash. Three were arrested for operating an illegal gambling parlor, narcotics possession, and outstanding warrants. Afterward, the property owner evicted the tenant.
A person who picked up the phone at a business near 57 Leland Ave., who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation, said there was an uptick in crime, including shoplifting and car thefts, while the gambling den was in operation.
“The people who were patronizing there were creating a nuisance in the neighborhood,” the person said. “After January, things became quiet.”
The city prompted an investigation into 5530 Mission St. after finding bullet cartridge cases outside and inside the commercial unit. A Department of Building Inspection complaint from May claimed that one room there was being “rented illegally.”
Tenants at each of the properties were evicted or vacated after the property owners received letters from the city.
Two sites with illegal nightclubs were also shut down.
At 4461 Mission St., across from the Excelsior Public Library, the SFPD observed crowds entering a building where music was played late into the night, despite DBI complaints stating that the commercial space had been vacant for at least a decade. A complaint from November 2022 alleged that there was unpermitted construction at the building, as well as alcohol sales and loud music. The tenants initially denied entry to SFPD officers, claiming they were hosting “private parties,” but vacated following a demand letter from the city attorney.
Organizers of an illegal nightclub at 3261 Mission were less discreet. According to the city, the promoters of the parties advertised them on social media.
Situated above a Mexican restaurant called Aurora, that illegal nightclub had a bar, DJ, and two gambling machines, the SFPD discovered. According to Aurora’s website, the restaurant uses the second floor of the building as a rental space “for hosting a variety of events.” The city sent a demand letter to the property owner, who reached an agreement with the tenants, hired a manager to monitor compliance, and is working with a lawyer on additional enforcement, Chiu said.
Across all five sites, the SFPD seized 25 gambling machines; several firearms, including some that had been stolen; ammunition; and suspected narcotics.
“This outcome brings real relief to the neighbors who endured the chaos caused by these illegal gambling dens and nightclubs,” said Chiu. “In each of these cases, our Code Enforcement Team worked hard to ensure San Francisco is a safe and enjoyable place to live.”