Staten Island Bar Owner Arrested Days After Declaring “Autonomous Zone” & Defying COVID Rules

(TJV NEWS) The co-owner of a bar on Staten Island which declared itself an ‘autonomous zone’ after its liquor license was yanked over COVID-19 lockdown violations was arrested and perp-walked out of the business in handcuffs on Tuesday night.

According to Deputy Sheriffs, Mac’s Public House general manager and co-owner Daniel Presti was charged with several offenses, including obstructing governmental administration, for continuing to operate the establishment despite being in an ‘orange zone’ – where indoor dining is not allowed and there is a 10 p.m. dining curfew, according to NY1.

AP reported:

According to a release from Sheriff Joseph Fucito, plainclothes deputies went inside Tuesday and ordered food in exchange for a mandatory $40 “donation.” Uniformed deputies went in then and issued tickets for state and city violations.

Presti, 34, was uncooperative and was charged with obstruction of governmental administration in addition to the charges stemming from unauthorized food and beverage service, the sheriff said.

Lou Gelormino, an attorney who represents the tavern in its battle against the state and city, was there during the bust and was also ticketed. Gelormino told the Staten Island Advance that Presti was arrested because he didn’t want to leave his business “and at that point … they considered it trespassing.”

Another attorney for the bar, Mark Fonte, told the newspaper, “These sheriff’s officers are ‘wannabe’ cops. This is what happens when little people get a little power.”