SOMERS — Approval of a special event license for an annual “midget” wrestling event ended with a protracted verbal tussle Tuesday among a Village Board trustee and the owners of the Somers House tavern.

While the board voted 5-1 to grant the license for the May 13 event at Somers House, 1548 Sheridan Road, it drew strong criticism from lone dissenter Joe Cardinali.

He called members of the Gochis family who own the business “bullies” and “gangsters” in explaining why few from the neighborhood near the tavern showed up to oppose the event.