3 WNY Bartenders Busted For Serving Alcohol To Minors

A St. Patrick's Day weekend bust resulted in three bartenders being arrested for underage alcohol sales. New York State Police cracked down on underage drinking during the holiday weekend. On Sunday, March 16, 2025, when many people in Western New York were celebrating the holiday, the New York State Police in Lockport conducted an underage drinking detail in Niagara and Erie counties.

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While you may assume that it is completely illegal for people under the age of 21 years old to drink, that's not entirely the case. New York State law says that the possession of an alcoholic beverage with the intent to consume anyone under 21 is allowed if it is given,

(a)to a person who is a student in a curriculum licensed or registered by the state education department and the student is required to taste or imbibe alcoholic beverages in on-campus or off-campus courses which are a part of the required curriculum, provided such alcoholic beverages are used only for instructional purposes during class conducted pursuant to such curriculum; or

(b) to the person under twenty-one years of age by that person's parent or guardian.

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The situations that landed the three bartenders in jail didn't fit either of those scenarios. Georgia A. Thompson, a 25-year-old bartender from Youngstown, allegedly sold liquor to a minor at Slick Willie’s, located in the Town of Tonawanda at 2316 Niagara Falls 6280 S Transit Rd, Lockport, NY 14094.

Lauren N. Dangelo, a 22-year-old bartender from Buffalo, was arrested for allegedly selling alcohol to a minor at Tully’s, located at 1459 Niagara Falls Boulevard, Unit D in the Town of Amherst.

A 52-year-old bartender, Kevin M. Ryan, of Lockport, was arrested for allegedly selling alcohol to a minor at The Back Alley Bar and Grill located at 6280 S Transit Road in Lockport.

They were all ticketed and will return to court at a later date.

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