Just days after the news broke that he and an associate were indicted for defrauding their employer, Sam’s Steakhouse, out of 1.4 million, Mark Erney decided to make the Sunday Funday rounds at local gay bars. It didn’t go well.
It all started when Bastille Manager Jeff Wicker took to the mic and said, “We believe in innocence until proven guilty, but you ain’t using a credit card at this establishment.” In response, Erney posted to Facebook: Soulard Bastille will always be trash. Lies, fake, rude, and simply everyone’s last choice.
Sunday also may have been Erney’s last visit to Just John. On Sunday, co-owner John O Arnold posted: I will never stand behind or support a thief. The LGBTQ community deserves better. Arnold followed up with another post on Monday: Since Mark Erney is out there bad mouthing other LGBTQIA bars and seems to have zero remorse for what he has done, Just John has decided to ban him. While other bars seem to embrace him, we do NOT. We think what he has done over the years has been despicable and should not be celebrated.
Soulard Bastille then confirmed that Erney is banned from there as well.
The anger towards Erney runs deep in the community, going back to his 2014 guilty plea for embezzling money from the first Hamburger Mary’s in town. Performer Krista Versace posted: Finally, Mark Erney gets what he deserves. He stole from Hamburger Mary’s. He stole from his family and some of you people in the gay community stood by him and were friends. Shame on you MF!
In most cities, people who have been disgraced will move along to the next town, but St. Louis is where the disgraced stay in place. We generally forgive and move on over time. Even still, talking bad about a bar is one way to earn a slew of enemies, as evidenced by the fiery comments on several bar pages.
Perhaps the ill-fated Sunday tour was an attempt at a charm offensive. Mark Erney may be prolific at stealing many things, but hearts aren’t among them.