I hunted around on the NY State Liquor Authority (http://www.sla.ny.gov/frequently-asked-questions#license1) website and discovered that there is this thing called a "Certificate of Relief from Civil Disabilities" that can be requested if you have only a single felony conviction. If you get the certificate you are no longer barred from holding a liquor license in NY State. I can just imagine how much it costs - it probably makes taxi medallions look cheap!