MONICA’S IN HUGE PICKLE
City calls for revised license with alleged shooter on the run
The Boston Licensing Board is weighing whether Monica’s Trattoria should remain open, given the status of its current manager, who is facing an attempted murder charge in connection with last week’s North End shooting.
Patrick Mendoza is on the run from police, and did not appear as requested at yesterday’s Licensing Board meeting that was convened to review his “character and fitness” as licensee and manager of record at the North End restaurant.
His absence is grounds for revoking, suspending or modifying his liquor license, according to Licensing Board Chair Kathleen Joyce.
William Ferullo, an attorney for the restaurant, urged the board to follow “its own precedent,” and allow for a replacement manager to be appointed, which he said has been granted in the past when managers get sick, become incapacitated or take a vacation. This would allow the restaurant to remain open, he said.
“I would have to take issue with this,” Joyce said. “This is really unprecedented. We do have precedents on transfers of manager records and approving such, but it’s unprecedented that when called upon the manager of record is unavailable for a week, and is evading the law, and is accused of some serious crime.”
To this, Ferullo said, “the allegations are the allegations.” The board can deal with those allegations as it sees fit, he said, but he urged its members not to penalize a “successful business” by putting its 25 employees out of work and leaving Mendoza’s family without a source of income.
Mendoza, 54, is wanted by police for allegedly shooting at a man outside Modern Pastry last Wednesday. He faces an array of charges, including assault to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and multiple firearms offenses, according to the Boston Police Department.
He has not been present at his restaurant for eight days. Two of Mendoza’s brothers, both of whom are licensed managers with the board, and his wife have been helping to run the business, Ferullo said.
Ferullo requested that the board allow the family to designate Amanda McQueen, who has been an assistant manager at Monica’s Trattoria for six years, as the replacement manager.
“We have a person who has six years of experience managing, has been an assistant for the business, that has nothing to do with the allegations,” he said.
Board members, however, raised concerns about the fact that McQueen was designated to her current management position by Mendoza, saying that he was essentially still making decisions about the restaurant’s operations while evading police.
The board also questioned whether it could approve a management transfer without a signature from the current manager of record. Ferullo stated that it would take until next week to figure out a way around that problem, and put forward an application with the required signatures.
“It’s concerning that this person who is not available, is evading the law, ultimately is in some way controlling the restaurant, whether it’s by proxy or otherwise,” Joyce said. “I’m grappling with whether or not I’m comfortable with the restaurant remaining open, in the absence of an approved manager of record.”
Ferullo was asked to provide more information on McQueen’s qualifications, and a proposed change to the restaurant’s liquor license by end of the day today. The meeting was adjourned after about 20 minutes without a decision.