The owner of a Boston bar where a 23-year-old Marine veteran was killed by a bouncer in 2022 has closed the establishment and wants to sell his license, the owner’s lawyer said this week. The proceeds will go to the Marine’s family, he said.
The Sons of Boston bar closed after the fatal stabbing and reopened on May 11, 2023 under the new name Loyal Nine at 19 Union St. The previous location had been in operation since 2018, according to a post on the bar’s Instagram account.
But on Tuesday, attorney Carolyn Conway went before the Boston Licensing Board and said her client had closed the bar and wanted to sell the license. Conway also said the proceeds from the sale would go to the family of 23-year-old Daniel Martinez.
Although it’s unclear which specific license Conway was referring to, trading in liquor licenses is common given the state’s cap on the number of licenses issued. Liquor licenses can sell for up to $600,000 in Boston.
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Martinez, a Chicago native, was a recently discharged U.S. Marine Corps veteran visiting Boston with friends over St. Patrick’s Day weekend two years ago. He was denied entry to Sons of Boston, and investigators said the bouncer followed Martinez and his friend down the block and then stabbed Martinez in the chest.
Bouncer Alvaro Larrama, 40, of East Boston, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison in April.
The licensing agreement for Loyal Nine was not the first issue before the Licensing Board, which had corresponded with Conway about another assault law violation at the bar in June. She responded that the bar was now closed. Further information about that incident was not immediately available.
The Licensing Committee will consider the sale of the license at a later date. The owners of Loyal Nine and Conway were not immediately available for comment.
