A Boston restaurant owner's licenses to serve alcohol and food has been revoked after he allegedly shot at a man in front of a pastry shop last week.
The Boston Board of Licensing voted 3-0 to suspend Monica's Trattoria's food and liquor license indefinitely because the restaurants co-owner, Patrick Mendoza, failed to be present for a hearing last week.
"We do have the authority to suspend a license for a failure to appear at a sort of inquiry, especially an inquiry in to someone's character and fitness," said Board Chair Kathleen Joyce in the hearing Tuesday morning. "I have serious concerns about the person who's still listed at the manager of record and 100 percent owner."
"The reason he was not available to the business was not sickness. It was not vacation. All reasons we might be able to, in our discretion, excuse," Board Member Liam Curran added.
Joyce said the board received the application to change the license and manager ownership last Friday from the restaurant’s attorney, but they did not have sufficient time to review the documents.
William Ferullo, the restaurant’s longtime attorney, said that the ruling could leave Mendoza's wife and four children without a source of income, and put the restaurants 25 employees out of work, the Boston Herald reported.
The board didn’t immediately set a date for the next hearing.
The suspension comes after the co-owner of the popular Boston restaurant, failed to appear at a board hearing on July 20 since he was running from authorities after allegedly shooting a man in front of a popular Italian pastry shop.
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Mendoza allegedly rode his bike up to Modern Pastry on Hanover Street in Boston on July 12 and opened fire, according to Boston 25. A warrant was issued for his arrest and he was finally taken into custody after an eight-day search.
Mendoza had been feuding with the man he allegedly shot at, and was reportedly on probation for an assault conviction involving the same man, the Boston Herald reported, adding that his probation would have ended the day of the alleged shooting. He also reportedly has at least two other court documented incidents involving the man, who reportedly lived above the pastry shop.
"He spotted this individual who he had prior cases with, prior run-ins with, he was actually on probation that day when the shooting happened," Suffolk County Assistant District Attorney Daniel Nucci said in court Friday, Boston 25 reported. "He fired multiple shots at this individual, stating, ‘It’s going to be quick. I’m going to kill you.’ Luckily none of the shots struck the individual, but they did strike the window of Modern Pastry."
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The alleged victim said he ran behind a parked Jeep after hearing two shots, claiming, "one of the shots narrowly missed him and impacted the front window of Modern Pastry," the Herald reported. He said he then ran "for my life" after Mendoza fled until he found a police officer.
