Yet even before the January 6 stabbing, city officials attributed a series of problems to Diesel. In a January 3 letter, Andrew J. Annaldo, chairman and secretary of the Providence Board of Licenses, cited two other incidents in trying to schedule a hearing on why the venue’s licenses should not be suspended or revoked. On November 26, 2005, Annaldo wrote, “Police detail officers were requested by staff security to assist with the removal of several unruly patrons. Police observed numerous rival gang members inside the club. While attempting to break up a fight between patrons, an unidentified subject grabbed Patrolman Menedz’ police baton and attempted to pull it from him. As the club was letting out several fights immediately broke out. Numerous additional office[rs] along with the aid of state police were required to bring the crowd under control.”

In another episode, on September 30, 2005, Annaldo wrote, police observed several disturbances while attempting to disperse patrons who had left Diesel. Subsequently, Annaldo wrote, “They observed a subject assaulting another subject who was laying on the ground and unconscious. Upon assisting the victim, police discovered that he had been stabbed.”

Kent asserts that Mayor David N. Cicilline bears an animus against him because he was a supporter of Cicilline’s predecessor, Vincent A. “Buddy” Cianci Jr. “That’s silly,” responds Wood. “There’s absolutely nothing empirical I’ve seen that would back that up.”

Various Providence officials have attempted to crack down on nightlife since two college students (whose assailants hadn’t been clubbing) were killed after being carjacked in 2000. It’s hard to know whether it would help, but one possible solution — letting clubs remain open later and stopping alcohol sales at that point, so patrons would filter out gradually, rather than all at once — has yet to gain any real official consideration.