February 03, 2010, 10:43PM
The self-proclaimed "baddest man on the planet" was a no-show tonight when it came to standing up for his longtime chum at a meeting of the Alcohol Beverage Control board in Jersey City.
Earlier today, former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson was holding court at the Ringside Bar and Lounge on Tonnelle Avenue, telling everyone he planned to attend the City Hall hearing to tell board members what a great guy Mario Costa, the owner of the Ringside, is.
The city is seeking to shut down the bar for a period of time in the wake a murder there Dec. 30 -- the second since 2004.
"Mario is like my brother," Tyson said of Costa. "I've known him since '83, '84. I trained here. I lived here. He's always fed me, he's always taken care of me. I want to be here for him too."
But at the 5 p.m. meeting, Tyson, who sports a tribal face tattoo, was nowhere to be found.
The Brooklyn native who recently filmed a documentary about his life and appears in the film "Hangover," couldn't be reached to explain his disappearing act.
Prior to the meeting, city officials said they were seeking to shut down Ringside for 40 days, the maximum penalty they could extract given the applicable ordinance.
But by the time the board met, Costa and city officials had reached another arrangement.
Beginning Feb. 14, the bar/lounge will be closed for 18 consecutive Sundays.
During this period, the bar will close at midnight every other day as opposed to its normal 2 a.m. closing time, city spokesman Stan H. Eason said.
The hours the establishment will be closed adds up to the equivalent of 32 days, Eason said.
The ABC board unanimously approved the arrangement.
On Dec. 30, Adrian Gerena of Irvington was shot and killed at the bar in what police at last night's hearing called a "hit."
"It was my belief that this hit was meant to occur whether it was in the Dunkin' Donuts across the street or Mr. Costa's bar, where this gentleman was. The hit would have occurred," Police Detective Ed Dolan said.
On Dec. 16, 2004, rap mogul Robert "Tito" Montanez, was shot twice in the chest in the bar's parking lot and later died.
And on Sept. 9, 2006, there was gunfire in the bar's parking lot and police recovered a number of 9mm shells.
Based on his earlier comments, Tyson, who keeps pigeons behind Ringside, probably would have told the board Costa isn't to blame.
"Look at the track record," Tyson said. "(Costa) has never been linked to or involved with any of the incidents that took place here.
"He's a good man," he added. "Bad things happen to good people, and even happen in good places."
