The rules of journalism are pretty simple: Don’t pick on the little guy, and never make shit up. Unfortunately, this might be a bit complex for the bright minds at Channel 19.
Take the case of Billy Dale. He opened Kamikaze, his Warrensville Heights cafe, in 1999 with hopes of providing a haven for everyone from open mic poets to after-church diners. “I’ve been in this community for 13 years,” Dale says. “I have a track record of nothing but working hard.”
Aside from serving coffee and comfort food, Dale also rented his space out to private bachelor and bachelorette parties at $250 a pop. Dale would provide the food, while the partygoers would bring the booze and strippers.
But last year, someone tipped off Channel 19 that the Kamikaze bachelor parties were actually an afterhours illegal strip club. Action News crusaders Matt Stevens and Dan Salamone immediately leaped into action.
Alas, after three visits with a hidden camera, Stevens and Salamone uncovered little more than a friendly neighborhood hangout. Still, neither was willing to kill their precious headline, “Coffeehouse hookers.” They’d worked too long and hard on such artful poetry to let it go to waste.
So Salamone enlisted the help of a stripper and an anonymous man, paying them $300 plus drinks, to pose as a couple for his “news” segment. In his voice over, Stevens announced that the couple entered Kamikaze, where they paid $20 each for an hour-long lap dance from another stripper. “We found out immediately that you can get just about anything for the right price,” Channel 19’s stripper told the camera of the coffeeshop.
After the segment aired in May 2006, Dale and one of his associates, Maurice Marbury, were immediately charged with pandering obscenity. But North Randall police couldn’t find any evidence of wrongdoing and later dropped the charges.
Still, the damage had been done. Dale started losing business. Marbury was on parole when he was charged and was sent to prison until the charges were finally dropped. “I’m barely staying open right now,” Dale says. “They really damaged my reputation, saying that I had a stripper pole in the room. Now why would I have that? I have open mic poetry, church people on Sundays. I got a lot going on. Why would I jeopordize that?”
In March, Dale and Marbury filed a defamation suit against WOIO. “The case is still in its early stages,” says their lawyer, Mike Goldstein. “There’ve been no serious settlement negotiations yet, but we’re talking.” — Denise Grollmus
This article appears in Oct 10-16, 2007.
At all cost good or bad, bad things upset the balance of an African American man trying to do the right thing. You now have the knowledge move to another location and move forward with your endeavors. It takes large sum of money to settle what has been lost. Establish your vision in a new location while your attorney fight you legal battles.
The problem with reporters today is they are often times so eager for a story that the reality of the effect it will have on the lives and livelyhood of others doesn’t even enter into the thought process. I have been to Kamikaze on several occassions I even have a niece who had her 18th birthday bash there. I do believe if there was a stripper pole on the premises it would have been noticed, unless nowadays they are making removable poles “which would prove to be quite dangerous for a stripper twirling her weight around a pole.” Bottom line is sadly enough others perception can be anothers reality. What needs to be focused on is the truth the information that Channel 19 exploited was false there needs to be a public apology and monetary compensation,not only has their credibility, morals,and business sense been put into question they have lost countless dollars due to the bad publicity on the part of Channel 19 News. Before going public with a story that effects the lives of many one should be absolutely certain of the information they are putting forth.
this is maurice. the guy who went to prison.
i read denises comment and think that you don’t fully understand the situation. how hard is it for an African American male to get a job let alone start his own business? So to just pick up and move is very easy to say, but very hard to do. People really don’t understand that there was no strip club at all. 19 actually paid actors (strippers) to create what never was. There was a venue for every day of the week, but 19 focused on the bachelors parties and made a universal tradition into pornography and it was done maliciously and was racially biased. please go to http://www.myspace.com/letmemakeyoufamous and read the blog there for a more indepth story and understanding of what happened. then come back to this story and make your comment.
I think this is wrong and channel 19 shouldn’t stoop so low to get a story. I think these guys have right to sue them for destroying their characters.
I think what Channel 19 did was unjust and they should pay for there actions. The media has a lot of power and this situation shows how you can use that power to hurt someone’s character and there respectability in the community.
I think its messed up when a black man is trying to do something right and society always find a way to bring him back down. I used to alweays look at 19 for the news now I don’t think I’ll be watching them anymore. This was absolutely crazy. I’m trying to hold my tongue from cursing. People need to go look at the whole story on myspace.com/letmemakeyoufamous and look at the blog on there.
To me thats like forging a chech and they should get everything that comes with that offense. How can they get away with something like? They shut these guys businesses down. They should be sued for all of the money them guys could have made and a whole lot more. How would they feel if it happened to them.
Me alone might not be able to do anyhting, but i aint watching channel 19 news no more. we need more black businessmen. These guys were positive not in the street robbin and killing nobody and not selling no dope, and it was a lie. they should shoot 19 down like they did those young mens.
i feel that 19 action news was really wrong for doing that why would you do that to any human being, thats not moral at all.You ruined people’s lives these action.
I think it’s a shame that the news would go to these means to create a story. The reporter needs to do jail time so he sees how it feels. “shame on you”.
This seems to me a continued effort to demoralize an effectively shut down a legit black business. I guarantee if this was a scam the business would not continue to operate to this date (the shop is still open). Its ashame that race continues to work against black folk.
It just go to show you how the media can trash your creditbility,just for a story. How right is that you need to fight back and make them accoutable for there actions.
It just go to show you how the media can trash your creditbility,just for a story. How right is that you need to fight back and make them accoutable for there actions.
I know Maurice Marbury a hard working honest man. One of the best African American businessmen in Ohio. When this story hit the Scene mag. I was blown back that WOIO would do something so appauling when African American men need role models in order for Cleveland to rise to another level we must work together as one; blacks and whites. Chennel 19 is considered to be role models to the youth those same youth read the Scene magazine everytime a publication comes out. Now what do they think about you? How are we to exsepct a great change who looked up to Maurice and 19 as role models? Lets not run our leaders from Ohio to build other cities and States. How can we have faith in a city who’s leaders we can’t trust?
I think this was a disgrace on the news part. I feel that these guys who I know very well, should be paid very well. You just can’t go and railroad and destroy peoples lives and just say sorry……….Hell to the knaw….Pay ya fair and comb ya hair…LOL
There really arent enough words that i can say to express my opinion, of channel 19 but truly this is outrageous!!! I know Maurice as a very well strong & determine man, & i know exactly how much he plays a part in the community & w/ such business in the area & he would never take the risk of losing everything that he has worked hard for all over again from top to bottom. I have also myself been inside the kamikaze & have never witnessed a strip pole & any other bull that was repoted & actually the food their is great! But i hope channel 19 get what they deserve for trying to stoop so low! And that everyone look & read all the facts & keep supporting ur strong black men keep your heads up!
Why am I not surprise? This shit been going on since before I was born. Media has alway played a part in the suppression on the Africans in America. I believe none of what I hear and half of what I see. The crazy thing is the reporter ask Mauruce, “Are You A Panther”. From that question alone, I would have been done with that conversation. What dose that play in any of this story? I would be trying to file a Racist Hate Crime Suit. Seems like to me he the rope is still dangling for the trees in USA.
Well Get ready for what’s left to come. Check out the link below.
http:/www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3biFKW_vWY
It really is sad that the reporters decided to lie and ruin people lives to get a story when there is so much to report on in this city. They need to be sued and serve jail-time themselves. I pray for all the victims in this scam and hope they win their day in court.