ELYRIA — The music and dancing have stopped at Club 57.

The controversial strip club closed Saturday as part of an agreement owner David Shapiro reached with city officials to stop the city’s efforts to have him held in contempt of court for allegedly allowing strippers to expose more of themselves than a judge’s order said they could.

Shapiro had little to say about the closure of the club he opened in February 2006. He called his employees “good people” when reached for comment Monday, shortly after signing a court document that required the club to close.

The agreement between Shapiro and the city also bars him from conducting any business in the county except for residential property management.

The closure comes just weeks after Shapiro agreed to never again own or operate another club, bar or other establishment with a liquor permit in the state of Ohio after pleading guilty to attempted child endangering for allowing a 15-year-old girl to dance at the club.

Shapiro has yet to be sentenced in the criminal case, but county Prosecutor Dennis Will has said he doesn’t plan to seek prison time.

Assistant Elyria Law Director Mike Szekely had asked Lorain County Common Pleas Judge Mark Betleski to hold Shapiro in contempt after undercover Elyria police officers observed strippers violating the judge’s order in December and February.

Betleski ruled in November that the club could remain open as long as the strippers kept their genitalia and portions of their breasts covered.

The city had asked Betleski to close the club because officials said it violated a city ordinance that prohibited an adult entertainment establishment from being within a quarter-mile of another business that sells alcohol.

Club 57 was located in the old Mountain Jack’s restaurant next to the Elyria Holiday Inn, which also has a liquor license.

“This takes care of it, so we’ll just have a concerned eye on what happens next on that piece of property,” Szekely said.

Shapiro has said he is trying to sell the property, which his company, DAS-9 Properties LLC, purchased in 2005 for $750,000. The club was originally known as Diamond Men’s Club West but changed its name after a dispute between Shapiro and the owners of the Diamond Men’s Club in Cleveland.

“We’re working on things for the building,” Shapiro said Monday.

Shapiro — who resolved building maintenance code issues the city had complained about earlier this year — still has one legal problem to deal with concerning the club — county records show he owes about $64,000 in unpaid property taxes dating back to 2006.

James Gemelas, Shapiro’s attorney, said dealing with the constant legal problems grew tiresome for his client.

“They just did not want him in town, and they went after him,” he said.

Elyria police Chief Michael Medders said the club didn’t have an above-average number of calls, but his officers had to enforce the law. He said there was no animosity toward Shapiro, just a desire that he follow the rules.

“If anybody comes in town and wants to do it right we’ve got nothing against it,” he said.

Szekely conceded that the city has fought Shapiro’s club since before it even opened. The case was even briefly fought in federal court before it ended up in Betleski’s court, he said.

Shapiro, who still owns rental properties in the area, didn’t say what his future plans are, but his attorneys have said he might move out of state.

“Ohio hasn’t been that good to him,” Gemelas said.

Contact Brad Dicken at 329-7147 or bdicken@chroniclet.com.

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