"Sparky's" Coney Island Closed - Owner Arrested for Tax Evasion

The for sale sign in the window at Sparky's Coney Island System on Taunton Avenue this past week was a hint of trouble to come. The sign said business only was for sale. Sparky's famous hot wiener restaurant has been struggling to make a go of it for a couple of years now. When word got out that owner George "Sparky" Watts was close to losing the business, dozens of loyal customers flocked to the iconic 'wiener joint' on a snowy day in March of 2014. The restaurant's supporters showed up to give the business a jolt of good will and business. Hundreds of people from all over Rhode Island stopped by. "Quite a crowd! Hopefully new and old customers will support and sustain Sparky's," was the rally cry of many that day.

But although things did seem to improve, owner Sparky Watts was having trouble paying his bills. "I was there this morning and had breakfast. Sparky was in good spirits and things seemed okay. I can't believe that he was closed down a few hours later," said one frequent customer upon hearing the news. Indeed the East Providence Police arrested George Watts and closed the business. Mr. Watts was charged with several tax evasion crimes. He is facing three felony charges in State Superior Court. The charges were brought based on a complaint from the RI Division of taxation. The charges claim that the business failed to pay thousands of dollars in taxes for quite some time. The state taxation division claims that Watts did not respond to several communications over the past few years.

Watts could not be reached for comment late today. A couple of friends of the business owner said they felt "Sparky was trying to work with the IRS, but they (IRS) wouldn't help him." Yet police reports seem to infer that the state tax officials had run out of patience with the business being in arrears. The taxes owed are thought to be state business taxes and not local taxes.

The closure, for now, of Sparky's means that there is only one "hot wiener joint" left in East Providence. Recently Riverside Kitchen on Willett Ave. and Riverside Grille in Riverside Square have closed. In an interview with The Reporter in March of 2014, Riverside Kitchen owner Jared Aronson talked about owning NY System diner for just over 10 years. "This place has been here for about 35 years and I have many loyal regulars. But I know what Sparky (George Watts) means. It's been tough." Aronson said he, too, is barely staying in business. "It's the utilities which are killing us. I've done all the right things, installed the right energy saving stuff, even had R.I.S.E. in here, but the high cost of electricity and water, etc. is hard to keep up with," said Aronson. Soon after they closed.

Hot Wiener lovers have only one place left to go. Paul Mello and Bobby Medeiros run M&M's New York System on Waterman Avenue. M&M's has added to their menu by offering homemade stuffies, chowders and soups, etc. "Dogs (wieners) are the lifeline of our business," said Mello, "but we have a big breakfast business. We don't stay open too late." For now, M&M's is doing okay but working hard at it.

Sparky's recently celebrated its 100 year anniversary, complete with the creation of a "hall of fame" of long time customers. The very first Coney Island System on Taunton Avenue was opened by the Kanelos family around 1900. The Kanelos' eventually owned 5 systems in East Providence, including the site where the currently closed Riverside Grille exists in Riverside Square. Jimmy Kanelos owned his Taunton Ave. business for some 50 years before retiring around 1985. Kanelos served on the East Providence School Committee for 23 years. During those early Kanelos years, many a patron would come in to talk about school issues "over a dog and a coffee." It was social networking of its day. Today, the famed Coney Island System sits dark and closed as the legal system will deal with several serious charges filed against its owner, Sparky.