Sedgefield

1991 Incident at DEGENIS on Marsh & Melbourne

GUNMEN STRIP CLUB MEMBERS OF VALUABLES

Sunday, February 24, 1991
By LIZ CHANDLER, Staff Writer
The Charlotte Observer

Two masked gunmen robbed a Greek night spot late Friday, forcing 14 people to give up their wallets, jewelry - and even their clothes.

Police arrived at the Degenis Club just after 10 pm to find most of the men-only club patrons standing around in their skivvies. No arrests had been made by late Saturday.

Witnesses say it happened this way:
"People were drinking beer, some were drinking coffee, some were playing cards - just for fun, to kill time," said Spiros Poulos, 66. "We go there every night."

About 9:45, two men wearing ski masks stormed into the private Marsh Road club and fired a shotgun at the ceiling. "They said, 'This is a holdup.' They shot the roof and started swearing - I think they were trying to scare us," Poulos said.

Then the gunmen ordered patrons to hand over their valuables and trousers, and lie on the floor. They collected the trousers and some shirts and jackets in a laundry sack, ripped out the phone and left.

One robber returned moments later and ordered the shaken customers to get back down on the floor.

A few minutes later, the victims, who ranged in age from 40 to 78, reconnected the phone and called police. And as they waited for help, they took turns calling their wives.

"I called my wife to bring my pants," said Poulos, who said he lost $150, a $75 watch and a pair of trousers in the robbery. "Everybody was scared. I no sleep one little bit last night."

The club, frequented by older men and modeled after a Greek coffee shop, was open as usual Saturday. And about half of Friday`s victims returned.

"It was pretty scary," said Al Lolos, a carpenter who lost a watch and pair of pants, but protected his wallet by hiding it under a table. "I never been treated like that. . . Why do they have to pick on old men with heart problems?"