A NEW York City bar that has been defying Covid restrictions has again broken the rules – as its arrested owner slammed Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Mac’s Public House on Staten Island reopened on Friday around 8.30pm, despite being shut down by local authorities earlier this week.
Co-owner Danny Presti, 34, was arrested on Tuesday and charged with obstructing government administration, as cops said he was uncooperative, and multiple violations of city and state laws.
Mac’s, which was issued summonses, had branded itself an “autonomous zone” and had continued to allow indoor customers.
The bar on Staten Island is located in a coronavirus “Orange Zone,” which only allows takeaway or outdoor dining.
Indoor dining is not allowed as of November 23 because of a massive uptick in coronavirus infections.
The pub also reportedly received complaints about operating past the 10pm curfew imposed by Cuomo’s executive order.
Last week, Mac’s had its license to sell alcohol removed after cops found 14 people inside the bar eating and drinking.
As of Thursday, more than 1,100 people died from Covid in the borough, while over 22,000 cases have been reported since March.
Presti’s attorney, Lou Gelormino, told WABC-TV that around 100 customers were inside Mac’s on Friday as it reopened.
The attorney said Presti is breaking the law to honor “brothers and sisters in the restaurant business.”
Gelormino said the bar’s owners still haven’t paid Covid summonses – and claimed that hundreds of other small business owners have reached out to him for his help.
On Tuesday, plainclothes deputies walked inside Mac’s, ordered food, and paid a $40 mandatory “donation.”
Deputies in uniform then went in and shut the place down and arrested Presti.
Gelormino said since the bar was closed, several elected officials including Congresswoman-elect Nicole Malliotakis, of Staten Island, have reached out in support.
Presti told Fox News on Friday that he and co-owner Keith McAlarney have “pleaded” to work with New York officials during the pandemic.
“We’ve pleaded with them to work with us and other small businesses,” he said.
“At this point, we are losing faith, and kind of lost faith in the ability for our local and city governments to help us.”
Presti said while local officials have tried to help, Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio “seem like they don’t want anything.”
“So if they don’t give us assistance in some way, or are working with us to get back open in a safe manner, we’re going to have to take things into our own hands.”
After Presti’s arrest, Cuomo said on Wednesday that the owner of Mac’s “is learning that actions have consequences.”
“Breaking the law and putting your neighbors’ lives at risk during a global pandemic to make a political statement is simply unacceptable,” he said in a statement through a spokesperson.
But Presti argued that New Yorkers “just need in some way to either be assisted or to get our places open and these state agencies and city agencies that come in and threaten to fine us or pull our licenses every single day, it’s not right.”
