San Francisco officials shut down illegal gambling dens

The San Francisco City Attorney’s Office announced it has shut down three illegal gambling dens and two unlicensed nightclubs.

One of the nightclubs, located at 3261 Mission Street, was the subject of multiple reports about loud, late-night parties featuring gambling machines and unlicensed alcohol sales, Mission Local reported.

In January, the publication reported on the rampant late-night activity at the Mission Street location, prompting further scrutiny. The parties, often promoted on social media by organizer Paulo Ferreira, quickly disappeared from public view after the article was published.

After an investigation, the property owner, Shirley Conway, was formally ordered on January 6 to cease the unauthorized activities. While it remains unclear whether Conway was aware of the full extent of the operations, officials report that she has since taken steps to regain control of the property.

As of March 19, the City Attorney’s Office confirmed that Conway had reached an agreement with her tenants to bring them into compliance. She has also hired a property manager and retained legal counsel to enforce the terms.

“I appreciate that the property owners cooperated with our demands to put an end to this wildly illegal conduct,” City Attorney David Chiu said in a statement. “This outcome brings real relief to the neighbors who endured the chaos caused by these illegal gambling dens and nightclubs.”

Four other locations—57 Leland Avenue, 5530 Mission Street, 1201 Cayuga Avenue, and 4461 Mission Street—were also shut down. Tenants at these sites were evicted or left voluntarily after being contacted by the city.

In total, 25 gambling machines were confiscated during the enforcement actions. Authorities also recovered stolen firearms, ammunition, and methamphetamines from the sites.