An owner of a Staten Island, New York, bar that gained notoriety for not following COVID restrictions posted a video to the establishment's Facebook page showing summonses being torn up and and thrown at New York City Sheriff's deputies.
A video shared on the Mac's Public House Facebook page Friday shows bar co-owner Keith McAlarney tearing up the summonses being given to him and yelling at the officers.
In the clip, McAlarney flings the papers and insults the deputies. "You guys are a waste," he says. "You guys lost. You're gonna come after me now three months later? Just following orders? Give up your paycheck. Are you willing to give up your paycheck?"
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"Part one of insanity," the bar's Facebook post with the video said. "You lost 3 months ago but say ahh what the hell let's do it again!!! What's crazy is I wasn't even there the day they are (personally) fining me for!"
Mac's also appeared to have livestreamed the exchange from a different angle on its Facebook page.
MAC’S Public House was live.
According to The Staten Island Advance, Mac's had received over $40,000 worth of fines and summonses but were tossed out in December, although they were dismissed accidentally due to a clerical mistake. Sheriff Joseph Fucito told the local outlet that the bar owners were fined for violating New York's Alcoholic Beverage Law on December 1 but also a new fine was issued for violations seen in March.
The bar's lawyer said that the summonses were for the "illogical Orange Zone restrictions which we now know were unconstitutional" rather than alcohol sales.
The bar owners filed a lawsuit in March against New York and Governor Andrew Cuomo. The bar's co-owner, Daniel Presti, announced that the establishment would open without enforcing New York's mask mandate.
Mac's gained nationwide attention in November for trying to skirt New York COVID restrictions in November. The owners attempted to declare that Mac's was an "autonomous zone," saying that it would be doing "business as usual."
Additionally, after Mac's had its liquor license revoked by the New York State Liquor Authority, the owners tried to work around the setback by giving away drinks for free and soliciting donations instead.
After the bar was shut down, protesters gathered to show support for the establishment. In December, members of the far-right group the Proud Boys were reportedly attendees of protests held outside of the bar.
In an emailed statement to Newsweek, Presti said that the summonses were "retaliation" against the bar:
The sheriffs issued summons back in December and they were dismissed! They try to claim it was a mistake but the reality is they could not put any actual crime being committed! So in unprecedented fashion of the sheriffs they want to reintroduce those summons!
They lost and keep losing and this is nothing but retaliation against me and my establishment and what we stand for! I want you to ask yourself have you ever heard of sheriffs going to your house to issue tickets at 1030 at night on Saturday cause that's what they did, using the lie that they wanted to give us back the keys to our establishment!
It's disgusting and shameful the effort that they are putting against us just trying to provide for our family by serving a burger and a beer to grown adults, who by all rights have the freedom to make there own choices of what is safe for them not relying on the government to tell them.
And just a side note they destroyed my front door to go to the extreme of padlocking the place!
In an email to Newsweek, Fucito said that the bar owners were issued summonses related to the Alcohol Beverage Control law, noting that they were served for December 1, 2020 offenses that were incorrectly thrown out and new offenses from March 19, 2021.
"As seen in the video, the deputies were courteous and professional performing their duties even in the face of great anger and vitriol," Fucito wrote.
Updated 2:09 PM ET, with a statement from Mac's.
Updated 4:22 PM ET with further information from Fucito.
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