Gerald Canon thought he was doing Madison's Greenbush neighborhood a favor by turning a restaurant that once featured X-rated movies with breakfast into a trendy bar and restaurant for "bootleggers and flappers" reflecting the area's Italian roots.

Eighteen months later, Canon, the municipal judge in Marshall, finds himself in hot water with Madison officials. They charge that Azzalino's Speakeasy, 416 S. Park St., violated city ordinances by using a back smoking area as a beer garden and employing a bartender who was drunk on the job.

The city attorney's office is seeking up to $8,000 in fines for an incident in late June in which Madison police officers witnessed bartender Benjamin Runde apparently intoxicated while at work and for an occasion in early July when police say they found seven Azzalino's patrons sipping drinks outside in the smoking area — a no-no under city ordinances.

Neighbors say the trouble began several months ago with noise emanating from the area behind Azzalino's.

"I've heard cars squealing, glass breaking, people screaming — drunk people. They're very, very loud," said Stuart Eckes, who lives on Brooks Street behind the bar.

Another neighbor, Deb Laurel, said she's called the police at least once a week since June because of noise coming from behind the bar.

Madison Ald. Julia Kerr noted that Canon sought, and was denied, a permit for a beer garden. "I think it's really serious when you apply for a license, get denied, and then go ahead and do it anyway," said Kerr, who represents the 13th District.

But Canon denied he was trying to run a beer garden, saying there are signs near the exits of the 1920s-era bar warning customers not to take drinks outside. He chalked up the problems cited in the complaint to the bartender — his own son — who no longer works there.

"If I would've known about it on June 27th, the bartender would've been fired the next day," Canon said. "Why didn't somebody call me three months ago? I would've made sure the problem was resolved."

As for the arguments and noise, Canon said a large group of young men who aren't customers sometimes cause trouble in the parking lot, which is shared by several businesses. In February, he said, a group came into the bar, began fighting, were kicked out and continued fighting in front of Azzalino's. One man, Dontae Collins, 21, has been charged with two counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety for allegedly shooting two men during the Feb. 9 fracas.

"We got stormed by 10 to 12 gang members," Canon said. "That had nothing to do with Azzalino's."

Canon said he plans to fight the complaint, which means the matter likely will land before his counterpart in Madison, Municipal Judge Daniel Koval.

One way or the other, Eckes said, the problems at Azzalino's need to be resolved.

"I like the idea of a nice neighborhood bar," he said, "but not a gun-toting, glass throwing, fighting kind of place. Nobody wants to live near that."