The Glass Bar was a long-standing Grand Rapids tavern known for its legal controversies, criminal incidents, and efforts at revitalization. The bar, located at 139 Division Avenue S, played a role in a significant civil rights case in the 1950s, suffered from repeated burglaries, and later struggled with issues of crime and public perception.

Opened in 1951, The Glass Bar first gained media attention in 1954 when its owner, Zern "Bud" Barrick, pleaded guilty to violating Michigan’s civil rights law by refusing to serve an African American patron, Clarence Mabin. Testimonies revealed that Barrick and his staff had previously denied service to Black customers, highlighting the racial discrimination prevalent in Grand Rapids at the time. The bar was also the target of numerous burglaries throughout the 1950s, with thieves frequently targeting its safe. In December 1955, authorities arrested Albert Hallas, who confessed to multiple break-ins, including a $1,600 theft from The Glass Bar.

In 1958, ownership changed hands, with Quentin F. Sella and Joseph J. Riccobono assuming management. Despite the new ownership, the bar continued to face criminal activity into the 1960s and beyond. Reports from 1962 detailed a violent robbery involving a patron who was stabbed and robbed after meeting a couple at the bar. Theft and disorderly conduct complaints persisted in subsequent decades.

Purchased in 1982 by Slot Enterprises Inc., the bar’s new operators attempted to improve its reputation. Reports from 1987 detailed efforts to shift The Glass Bar’s image from that of a haven for panhandlers and loiterers to a more respectable working-class establishment. However, police records indicated persistent disturbances, including larceny, assaults, and disorderly conduct. In 1990, ownership transferred from Slot Enterprises to Chicago transplants Al Bregante and Jeff Nodurft, who opened The Reptile House, a punk bar that operated at the location from 1990 until 1997. The venue quickly gained a reputation for its eclectic music selection and unconventional aesthetic.

Links and Resources

  1. Admits Violating Civil Rights Law, Grand Rapids Press, 1954-09-13, Page 25
  2. Crack Safe; Take $1,200, Grand Rapids Press, 1955-07-05, Page 1
  3. ‘Brute Force’ Safe Burglars Net $400 in Local Job, Grand Rapids Press, 1955-10-31, Page 1
  4. Local Man Admits Forcing 7 Safes, Grand Rapids Press, 1955-12-13, Page 1
  5. Hold Youth In Breakin, Grand Rapids Press, 1962-06-30, Page 13
  6. Thief Gets $75, Grand Rapids Press, 1964-03-28, Page 19
  7. Bond Forfeited In Theft Case, Grand Rapids Press, 1968-11-01, Page 46
  8. Zern Barrick, 58, Ex-Resident, Dies, Grand Rapids Press, 1969-08-22, Page 14
  9. SUMMARY OF OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COMMISSION, Motion #40759, Grand Rapids Press, 1982-08-21, Page 6
  10. With Us Today: Friley Johnson, Grand Rapids Press, 1986-07-23, Page 11
  11. S. Division lounge wages war on loiterers in effort to become ‘working man’s bar’, Grand Rapids Press, 1987-08-29, Page 1-2
  12. New owners, same tenants, Grand Rapids Press, 1987-11-22, Page 224
  13. SUMMARY OF OFFICIAL PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COMMISSION, Motion #52684, Grand Rapids Press, 1990-02-17, Page 37 (D5)
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