These 45 NYC Businesses Sold Booze To Minors, State Says

NEW YORK — Nearly four dozen New York City businesses were caught selling alcohol to minors last month in a statewide crackdown on underage drinking, state officials say.

Underage decoys were able to buy booze at 45 spots across the five boroughs, including restaurants, delis and liquor stores, according to a list Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office released Wednesday. They were among 186 businesses across the state that were caught selling the hard stuff to minors, the office said.

"Underage drinking and fake IDs are not only illegal but can lead to reckless decisions with lifelong consequences," Cuomo, a Democrat, said in a statement. "We will continue to take action to hold businesses accountable for illegal sales as well as those who use fake IDs."

The State Liquor Authority's underage agents were able to purchase alcohol at 20 businesses in Queens, the most for any borough and twice as many as Manhattan, which had the next-highest number at 10.

Brooklyn was home to eight violating merchants, while The Bronx had four and Staten Island had three. Businesses charged with violations for selling to minors can face fines as high as $10,000 and repeat offenders can possibly have their liquor licenses suspended or revoked, Cuomo's office said.

But there were about three merchants in the city who followed the law for each one that didn't. Some 141 businesses in the five boroughs refused to sell booze to underage decoys during the enforcement effort, according to a list the governor's office released.

See the full list of businesses that sold alcohol to minors here. Merchants who refused to sell to underage buyers can be found here.