UES Haberdasher Nixes Rules for Preventing Virus Spread; Puts Customers in Danger

By: Ariella Haviv

Seems that the Center for Disease Control & Prevention guidelines for isolation and social distancing during the Coronavirus pandemic is not exactly being adhered to scrupulously by some self-entitled New York business owners.

On Sunday, a former southerner who came to New York City to make his fortune selling high end men’s clothing on the upper east side named Eliot Rabin, has taken it upon himself to defy the uniform decision of authorities for all non-essential businesses to shutter in order to prevent the rapid spread of the deadly virus. Thus far, the COVID-19 infection has claimed the lives of over 12,000 New York City residents.

Rabin, 78 is the owner of the men’s apparel store named Peter Eliot. Speaking to the New York Post, Rabin declared, “I’m opening my doors come hell or high water.”

The bombastic haberdasher also told the Post: “If I do get in trouble, it will be for the right reasons. What are they going to do? Yell and scream at me? Fine me $500? It would be worth it, for me to be able to open my mouth and say this is not equitable. If they try to arrest me, I’ll say, ‘Am I in a police state now?’ They’re not going to arrest me.”

If the name Eliot Rabin rings a bill, this men’s clothing entrepreneur had thrown his hat into the ring of local politics in 2018 when he decided to run against veteran NYC Rep. Carolyn Maloney for the 12th congressional district. Rabin fell in defeat to the popular incumbent. According to sources who were familiar with this failed campaign for elected office, Rabin came into the race without a war chest of any kind.

The source told the Jewish Voice that, “Rabin did not have any money whatsoever to spend on his race for congress. Maloney is a strong incumbent who has spent many terms in Congress and if someone is going to come along and run against her, they had best have money to spend since they have no name recognition in local politics.” The source added, “What was even stranger is that Rabin actually thought he was not only going to unseat Maloney but that he was going to run for US Senate from New York, without any money either. Frankly, I think this guy is highly delusional.”

According to witnesses who attended a candidates’ debate between Rabin and Maloney, they found the exchange quite odd. Said one audience member, “I had thought Rabin was going to attack Maloney’s record, and I thought he would come in on the attack as most challengers do, but it was beyond strange. He just kept lavishing praise of Rep. Maloney and saying such absolutely wonderful things about her and her record in Congress. If I did not know any better, I would have thought that he represented Maloney’s public relations team rather than being her opponent.”

Rabin has erroneously claimed that he no choice but to terminate 12 employees of this alleged 21-member staff due to the rules imposed by the city concerning the closing of all non-essential businesses in order to mitigate the spread of the virus.

Sources close to the shop, spoke to the Jewish Voice on the condition of anonymity and said that Rabin had fired the 12 employees long before the coronavirus reared its ugly head. The source said, “Rabin had fired those employees when he closed his store on Madison Avenue over a year ago. What he is saying now is patently false.”

Rabin reopened his Upper East Side store on Wednesday and while foot traffic is fairly slow, the business owner told the Post that he hopes to provide “emotional essential support” to those who remain in the city and have not fled for the affluent suburbs. According to the Post report, Rabin thinks that the sting can be removed from the Coronavirus by serving his customers alcohol. Rabin told the Post that he offers his clientele “internal vaccinations: Chivas Regal, Kentucky bourbon — have a nip and you’ll feel better.

Moreover, it has been reported that Rabin does not require his customers to wear a mask while in his store and proudly boasts that he does not wear one either.

“We’ve applied for every loan, every break … to no avail. We got bubkes,” he told the Post. He also mused, “Why is a liquor store essential and I’m not?” Rabin told The Post.

“I’m fighting for the soul of my company and my people. I’m doing what I think is right to protect my business and employees from this disaster,” Rabin said, adding that none of his employees are put in danger while working. “I spray my Lysol like I spray my Chanel cologne.”

Some people however are appalled at what they term “Rabin’s arrogance and insouciance as it pertains to the health and well being of his employees and patrons.”

A retired administrator at the New York City Health + Hospitals organization said, “If the city applied such rules that would prevent non-essential businesses from remaining open for customers to walk in, there are excellent reasons for it. These rules are to protect everyone, be they asymptomatic or not from contracting this deadly virus. Why Mr. Rabin thinks that he is the exception to the rule in beyond me. I think it is highly irresponsible for him to interact with customers, employees and other staff in such close proximity during these dangerous times”.

The health official added, “I understand that all businesses are taking a major economic hit because of the virus closures, but if Rabin wants to exclusively sell his products online, I and others in the health community would have absolutely no problem with that. But for him to buck the trend, for him to thumb his nose at the safety rules to guard against the spread of this virus is truly reprehensible in every way.”