For 14 years ago some Hispanic workers have been waiting for their former boss, owner of paid them tens of thousands of dollars in back wages by a popular Nassau County (Long Island, NY) Italian restaurant.
According to court documents, Nick Angelis, identified in court documents as the owner of “ Sunrise Pizza”, also known as “Nick’s Pizza” in Rockville Center, you must $75,551 dollars to eight of his former employees, reported ABC News. The figure was calculated by the Department of Labor New York State (DOL).
“I put too much love into this job and now where is the money?” asks Jorge Martínez Romero, who worked at “Nick’s Pizza” since 2003 and according to DOL records you are owed $41,065.14 dollars.
In August 2011 the DOL cited Angelis for violating state wage laws and ordered him to pay workers $283,551 dollars in total. But those affected affirm that they never received notification of the compliance order and only found out years later.
Kristin Thorne, a reporter for ABC News, associated with the portal of news from Hofstra University The Long Island Advocate to follow up on the investigation.
The former employees told them that for years they worked as 60 a 75 hours a week and were paid a flat rate that was well below minimum wage, both in cash and by check. And when they talked to management about their low wages, they told them they could find another job.
“They treated people like animals,” said Julio Contreras, another former worker interviewed. In 2009 they filed a complaint with the DOL. But “Nick’s Pizza has gotten away with it for years and the state hasn’t received the money for these workers,” said Nadia Marin-Molina of the National Day Labor Organizing Network (NDLON).
The New York DOL said in a statement: “We are actively working on this case and prepared to apply all available measures to ensure that these workers receive the payment they are due. Wage theft will not be tolerated and the DOL remains committed to protecting hard-working New Yorkers from bad actors trying to swindle them out of their hard-earned wages.”
Angelis has not been available for comment. Miguel Alassevillano of the Workplace Project in Hempstead has also been trying to help the workers since they came to a community meeting organized by his group. For him it is a human rights problem. “They must be paid and rewarded,” he said.