Cipriani USA

The New York Post's Steve Cuozzo today pleaded with state regulators not to revoke the liquor licenses of seven Cipriani restaurants and banquet halls around town:

It would...cost more than 1,000 jobs, leave our most iconic celebration spaces empty for the foreseeable future, and knock the fizz out of the city's culture of excess - the golden goose that keeps the talent-fleeing, jobs-hemorrhaging "Empire State" afloat.

Apparently, new State Liquor Authority (S.L.A.) commissioner Jeanique Green is a big Post reader.

This morning, Ms. Green cast the deciding vote to accept a $500,000 penalty in lieu of yanking the licenses, thus allowing the Cipriani empire to stay in business.  read more »

Banquet king Giuseppe Cipriani may have finally met his match in Daniel Boyle, chairman of the New York State Liquor Authority, writes Page Six Magazine scribe Joshua David Stein.

After losing his valuable lease in a legal fight at the Toy Center, the dapper restaurateur now faces life without bellinis, if archnemesis Mr. Boyle has his way and puts all seven Cipriani establishments effectively out of business by stripping their liquor licenses.

How ironic, writes Mr. Stein, if "a clan that has catered to the haute monde for almost 80 years could suddenly be brought down by a normal, middle-class guy in a regular, old courtroom next month.  read more »

Two of the city's top banquet behemoths were honored last night at the International Special Events Society's Annual Big Apple Awards at Cipriani Wall Street:

Michael Desiderio, chief operating officer of Tavern on the Green, and Joe Cozza, vice president of sales and marketing at Cipriani USA--both of whom are facing significant challenges these days in keeping their illustrious New York institutions afloat.

Tavern, for one, faces a potential bidding war to keep its sprawling 27,000-square-feet digs at Central Park. Cipriani, meanwhile, is struggling to hold onto its liquor licenses after CEO Giuseppe Cipriani pleaded guilty to tax charges last year.

I asked the friendly Mr.  read more »

A fierce standoff between two New York titans, both ranked on The Observer's recent 100 Most Powerful People In Real Estate, wrapped up an indecisive first-round yesterday.

Dapper restaurateur Giuseppe Cipriani (ranked No. 97) had offered up $500,000 to settle his dispute with the State Liquor Authority (S.L.A.).  read more »