By New York Post (U.S.) | Created at 2024-11-25 20:36:47 | Updated at 2024-11-27 06:38:58
1 day ago
A filthy Brooklyn restaurant at the heart of an illegal migrant food-peddling ring was up and running on Monday despite another batch of health department violations and an expose by The Post.
Dozens of migrants packed more than 50 coolers into waiting vans outside Guisa’o Restaurant in Bushwick, each packed with $10 meals prepared in an unsanitary sweat shop — despite the city citations and the exclusive news report.
“The basic understanding is we know it’s illegal,” Odalys Vasquez, who identified herself as a manager of the operation, said outside the eatery. “But the thing is, this is what we all provide [a living] from. They’ve all got kids. They’ve all got families to feed. Sometimes there’s no other work at other places.
“We’re looking into getting a license already because it’s just reporters coming in, the health inspectors,” Vasquez said. “It’s a lot.”
That may prove to be a tough sell for city officials.
The Post reported on Sunday that Guisa’o was hit with a new batch of violations in the most recent inspection by the city health department, including for fly infestation and unsafe food storage.
The Nov. 20 inspection yielded 49 penalty points in violations, following a July visit by the city that ended up with the restaurant getting hit with 96 penalty points and a $10,959 bill for unpaid taxes.
The Post first revealed the sickening operations last week, when it followed the migrants on their rounds, starting with the coolers loaded into vans and wheeled throughout the five boroughs.
The meals — chicken, beef or fish over rice or fries — are then sold at $10 a pop to unsuspecting passersby or construction workers, with the cycle starting again back at Guisa’o restaurant.
It was in full sprint on Monday, with migrants seemingly unaware that their underground and potentially dangerous food scam had been exposed.
Several migrants quizzed a news reporter about his presence outside the restaurant, while one van driver repeatedly moved the vehicle to block a photographer’s view of the operations.
In a statement over the weekend, a rep for Mayor Eric Adams said the city was aware of the ongoing food ring and was “looking into what more can be done.”
The spokesperson said Adams continues to appeal to the White House for help in providing legal work and services for the thousands of migrants living in the Big Apple at taxpayers’ expense.
