Graziano Graziussi, a 43-year-old lawyer from Naples...
He says he's 43? I wouldn't beleive anything else he says. ;)
Posted on 01/25/2013 6:58:33 AM PST by jimbo123
Welcome to New York, pal — now go to jail.
An Italian tourist spent his second night in the city behind bars after staff at an upscale East Side steakhouse called cops when he claimed he left his wallet at a friend’s place.
Graziano Graziussi, a 43-year-old lawyer from Naples, is a regular at Smith & Wollensky — but this time, barely 24 hours into his latest two-week stay in New York, he realized he didn’t have his wallet on him when a waiter presented him with the $208 bill Monday night.
“I forgot my wallet,” the clean-cut Graziussi told the waiter — but the staff at the Third Ave. eatery wasn’t buying it, even after Graziussi offered some pricey collateral while he went to get the cash about 30 blocks uptown.
“I was going to leave my iPhone,” he said. “I suggested they bring a bus boy with me. . . . It would have been an easy trip.”
But the general manager called police instead.
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
Define a regular when he visits NYC. Most likely, he eats there once or twice a year when he visits. This is not Mayberry, where someone new stands out like a sore thumb.
“What’sa matta you, hey
Gotta no respect, whatta you think you do
Why you looka so sad?
It’s-a not so bad, it’s-a nice-a place
Ah, shaddap you face”
-JOE DOLCE
I believe in this instance the customer was legit. But this restaurant and others have been burned at least once too often. It has nothing to do with foreigners or where the customer came from. It had to do with where his wallet was or wasn’t.
In a restaurant, eating a meal then suddenly discovering you don’t have your wallet is pretty unacceptable behavior. If they had let the guy go and he never came back, and they had even one or two customers a week pull that stunt, they are out their tight profit margins. It’s no different than shoplifting which stores prosecute vigorously for very small amounts of $.
What real value would his cell have if he skipped out? Sell it on craigslist for less than the dinner tab? Maybe he could have called his host and asked him/her to bring his wallet to the restaurant instead of his leaving to get it, as he wanted to do? It’s unfortunate when honest people get caught up in a situation like this, but businesses, especially restaurants, have to deal with too many con artists.
never expect sympathy in New York City.
If they’re doing it to regulars, then they are pretty dumb, in my opinion. People don’t skip out on bills at restaurants that they frequent with regularity. What’s the point? They’ll just want you to pay the next time you are there.
Leaving a stolen i-phone as security, no doubt.
Why is this a story... this is an everyday event.
‘The article says he was a regular customer, which makes it even weirder.’
Good thing he wasn’t carrying a 32oz soda or the charge would have been aggravated robbery.
No steak dinner is worth $200. The owners are the ones who are making out like bandits.
Graziano Graziussi, a 43-year-old lawyer from Naples...
He says he's 43? I wouldn't beleive anything else he says. ;)
I feel for the guy, but what’s the restaurant supposed to do? I cannot imagine the number of customers this place gets in a week. It’s harsh, but I can’t blame the restaurant manager.
“And how would I as a restaurant owner know or care who the person was or where they were from and whether they had been here before.”
Well, many restaurant owners are quite hands on, they know their regular customers because that is their bread and butter, so they take care of them. The waitstaff certainly knows the regulars, and whether they are good tippers or not.
One its a small town of friendly people.
Second, he had you and your license plate on video.
“If the guido’s story is legit then the friend could have been called and asked to bring the wallet.”
Good point and one that I glossed over. You are of course spot on, especially considering that he had his Iphone with him!
Hey,I hada a harda a life!
“They’ll just want you to pay the next time you are there.”
Very true. In my pre-Dave Ramsey days, there was a local tavern that I would frequent quite regularly. Usually, I had cash and would pay as I was consuming, however on one particularly celebratory night I started a tab and completely forgot about it. They certainly had it ready for me and of course carried over the LARGE tip for the bartender that worked that evening!
I was rather appreciative that they kept it for me and told me about it, rather than to take any other action or to just be bitter against me on future visits!
;-)
This story is in the NY Post as well, and probably in the news in and around NYC. This is not good press for Smith & Wollensky ... the $200.00 is just a fraction of the money they will lose as a result.
I want to get paid, I don’t want a cell phone. What the heck am I going to do with a cell phone???
Its NYC, regular is a broad term. Is he there twice a year or twice a week.
I’d wager its twice a year.
I doubt it will impact their business in the slightest.
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