![]() ![]() Male and of Italian heritage ,” the latest complaint states. “The common identity of a North End restauranteur is white. In October, however, a judge granted the city’s motion to dismiss the case, agreeing the owners lacked legal standing in arguing their personal liberties were infringed.Įarlier this month, the cohort of owners - Jorge Mendoza-Iturralde, of Vinoteca di Monica Carla Gomes, of Terramia Ristorante and Antico Forno Jason and Kim Silvestri, of Rabia’s Dolce Fumo and Patrick Mendoza, of Monica’s Trattoria - filed an amended complaint arguing instead Wu, the first woman and person of color to be elected mayor, intentionally discriminated against them because they are white, Italian men. ![]() Wu said the charge was needed to address the unique impacts outdoor dining poses in the North End, where traffic and parking became headaches among the table-lined narrow side streets, among other issues, such as trash displacement and rodent problems.Īfter an outcry from restaurateurs, Wu went on to announce flexible parameters, including fees tailored to operating schedules, the ability to pay the sum in installments, and a hardship waiver process to account for factors restaurants face on a case-by-case basis.Ī group of restaurant owners first filed a lawsuit against Wu in federal court in May, alleging the fees were unconstitutional. Tensions first flared in the North End last year, when Wu levied a $7,500 fee for outdoor dining permits for restaurants solely in that neighborhood. “When they gave it to me, I said, ‘What is this? I thought I ordered the veal Milanese,’ and they said, ‘You did, but instead, we’re giving you the vaffanculo,'” she added, mentioning the Italian slang for “f- off.” I had my first date with my Italian-American husband there, we had our wedding rehearsal dinner there, celebrated the baptism of our firstborn son there, and recently I was served my first subpoena there,” Wu joked. “It’s been the site of many firsts in my life, and I used to live there. Wu told the holiday breakfast attendees the North End has always had “a really special place in my heart.” ![]()
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