U.S. Secret Service agents, joined by East St. Louis and St. Louis police, served a warrant at Club TV One, the tenant in the Faces building, on Friday Mar. 27 as part of an investigation over property and electronics inside the building. Agents believe they were purchased with illegal credit.

While inside, authorities discovered illegal drugs: a large bag of marijuana and other drug paraphernalia. Police also confiscated more than 10 large duffel bags. One person was taken into custody as a result.

The raid came just one day after East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks’ office was raided by government investigators from numerous agencies –including the FBI and the IRS.

Faces closed after nearly thirty years in business in 2007 but the owner has stoked speculation that the legendary East St. Louis would re-open, even maintaining a Faces myspace page where he regularly posts bulletins.  The owner, who closed Faces due to declining business, had tried to find a buyer for the club and was dealt a setback when the copper was stolen from the building and the interior was vandalized.

When groveguys.com broke the story that the building was occupied by a new tenant that had obviously spent a good deal of money renovating the property, the owner issued the following statement:

Update on Faces Property

Just a quick note to keep you updated on the status of Faces of Fourth Street…we have received some kind comments and e-mails asking about what is going on…and some completely off the wall rumors as well. The building has not been torn down, gutted, or turned into some other kind of business. It is still a nightclub.

We have a tenant in the Faces property…the new tenant has been using the space for private parties and rentals but it is not operating as a gay bar. The tenant welcomes all customers but again, the space is not being operated as Faces.

This could change…the tenant basically agreed to put the sweat equity and investment in the property to repair the damage caused by the copper thieves. We felt it was better to have the building repaired and occupied instead of letting it fall down around us while we tried to get it reopened.

We still have hopes of resurrecting Faces either for special parties or as a monthly event but we feel the current economy requires us to put those dreams on hold.

Thanks you for your interest and support.

It appeared to many that the owner was either delusional or in denial. Others speculate he is just trying to maintain the Faces brand so it will have value to a potential buyer, who would possibly buy the name and open a new bar in the Grove.

Faces slow and steady decline

With 3:00 a.m. liquor licensing in the City of St. Louis, demand for after-hours bars waned. The perception of East St. Louis as a dangerous and crime ridden place was always an issue and was validated by pick pocketing inside the bar and with the tragic murder of the doorman, who was known as “the First Face of Faces.”

Recognized as the best gay club in St. Louis by the RFT as late as 2006, Faces was an enormous nightclub with three floors. The main floor was the dance club, the second floor was an impressive cabaret-style club and the basement had a “Men Only” bar complete with a dark room. The basement was always a thorn in the side of women and drag queens, since they weren’t permitted in the area.  A drag queen that was not in drag at the time went in the dark room one night and was not only ignored and rejected but had her pocket picked. Livid and scorned she vowed to shine the media spotlight on the debauchery unless the dark room was closed and the basement was opened up. The owner relented.

Some say the closing of the dark room was the final nail in the coffin, while others say bad management, changing times, and the unparalleled blight of East St. Louis caught up with the notorious establishment.

Groveguys.com  is still trying to ascertain what the raid will mean for Faces ownership. This could possibly allow them a refurbished space to re-launch the legendary establishment, providing that the federal raids and resulting calls for the bars to close at 2:00 a.m. don’t permanently alter the lawless 24 hour atmosphere that makes East St. Louis relevant as an after-hour destination.