The owner and manager of the well-known Grimaldi’s pizzeria, located between Sixth Avenue and West 20th Street, face accusations of defrauding his employees and appropriating thousands of dollars in unpaid wages, as announced by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
The news has surprised some residents and workers in the area.
“It is very sad for all of us that sometimes we denigrate our work a little,” said Claudia Correa, a worker. “Paying less, making false promises.”
“It is very wrong to take advantage of people, especially if they are immigrants, they may not have papers, I don’t know. They stay silent because they are afraid,” said Sylvia González. “But if that’s the case, if they did something like that, it’s very wrong and they have to pay.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office accuses Anthony Piscina and Frank Santora of stealing more than $20,000 from at least seven of their employees.
“We alleged time and time again that the owner and manager of Grimaldi’s lied to his workers, underpaid them, and exploited them, ultimately taking more than $20,000 from their hard-earned wages.” – ED Bragg,” reads a message on social media from prosecutor Bragg.
“Again and again, we allege, the owner and manager of Grimaldi’s lied to their workers, underpaid them, and exploited them, ultimately taking more than $20,000 of their hard-earned wages.” – D.A. Bragg. pic.twitter.com/JhmfFnTbNG
— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) March 21, 2024
They are accused of committing this act through a fraud scheme between August 21, 2017 and August 8, 2023.
According to investigators, the suspects deceived employees by sending bad checks, sending partial payments through financial applications, breaking payment agreements, paying less than the state’s legal minimum and, in some cases, not paying at all.
For example, according to prosecutors, one employee was promised ten dollars an hour, below the legal minimum in New York, but was never paid, racking up eight thousand dollars in unpaid wages.
They also highlight that the affected workers repeatedly asked Piscina and Santora to pay their salaries via text messages and the defendants agreed to pay the salaries, but failed to do so.
Piscina and Santora were formally charged this Wednesday. They appeared in court and a judge released them on his own recognizance. Both pleaded not guilty. His next court date is next May 1st.
They could receive a sentence of up to a maximum of 4 years in prison if found guilty, in addition to having to make restitution of owed wages.
If you have been a victim of wage theft in Manhattan, regardless of your immigration status, you can contact the County Attorney’s Office at (646) 712-0298 to report your employer.
“We believe there may be more victims and encourage any worker whose wages have been stolen to call our Worker Protection Unit by calling or texting (646) 712-0298. The Office is a safe place to report crimes, regardless of your immigration status,” reads another message on networks from prosecutor Bragg.
We believe there may be more victims and encourage any worker whose wages have been stolen to call our Worker Protection Unit by calling or messaging (646) 712-0298. The Office is a safe place to report crime, regardless of your immigration status.
— Alvin Bragg (@ManhattanDA) March 21, 2024
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