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Midtown's Hawaiian Tropic Zone Restaurant, whose bikini-clad waitresses make Hooters look like Chuck E. Cheese, has been hit with a $600 million discrimination lawsuit by four female former employees who accuse executives of ignoring their complaints against one-time general manager Anthony Rakis. The lawsuit declares that Rakis's relentless sexual harassment escalated into rape after a pre-opening party in 2006, when he jumped into the cab of former floor manager Giulietta Consalvo. Rakis allegedly threw money at the driver during the assault and said, "Keep driving, buddy," leaving her at her apartment "appearing drugged and disoriented."
Court papers obtained by the Daily News maintain that a few days later, Rakis begged Consalvo not to tell anyone: "I went to my priest this weekend. Please don't tell anybody. It was the alcohol." According to the Post, he also added, "I used to be a very bad person, but my wife turned me around. Please think about my wife," who was pregnant at the time. Another plaintiff, former hostess Stephanie Cheng, says Rakis forced her to perform fellatio on him in a basement storage area last March, telling her, "Don't say anything or else you'll be in hot water like I will be. I have a wife and I have kids and I can't afford to lose this job."
Want more sordid details? Big shot chef David Burke is also named in the lawsuit for allegedly groping Consalvo, who says Dennis Riese, chairman of the company that runs the restaurant, gave her a $10,000 raise and thanked her for not reporting the rape to police. Rakis's lawyer denies the allegations, and Burke was unavailable for comment. When Hawaiian Tropic Zone opened, it was learned that the waitresses live two to a room in an Upper East Side dorm, and Rakis came off as a world class asshole when interviewed by the Observer (scroll down) in 2006.
Photo of current Zone lady Karalyn via HTZ's site.(that's pictured)
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Pretty irresponsible/stupid to run a photo of someone other than the person who was purportedly raped.
What about getting an image of Anthony Rakis!
That's who we would need to know...""I used to be a very bad person, but my wife turned me around. Please think about my wife,". That is the type of fckr would be useful to be publicly known. Using women close not so close for his own personal gain! A jewel!
Nice choice of pic to go with a piece about rape. What's the subtext? If she looked like that, you can't blame the guy? It's disturbing you feel the need to put up a risque pic to turn people on when the topic is sexual assault.
Hmmmmm, boobies.
I find Tropic Zone to be very confusing as a venue. It's Times Square "adult" entertainment in the post-Guiliani era.
It's too tame to be a strip club, too risque to be a theme restaurant. There are girls in bikinis gyrating on the bar and the catwalk, but they aren't "exotic dancers." You don't put money in their bras, but you are expected to vote for your "favorite" (i.e. hottest) waitress.
When I was there (a friend of a friend works there) I saw what was clearly an office dinner party and several tables of couples, plus the usual post-frat boy types you find at these kinds of places.
Who has their office party at Hawaiian Tropic Zone? Who brings their date here? Totally confusing.
IMO, the Image Selection was a poor choice.
With that headline, people will immediately think that is the Rape victim, even with the note...
I'm a little surprised that the Daily News would print the names of the alleged victims and even more surprised to see the names here. You might want to edit them out as the alleged victims might not appreciate that much attention.
Hope that Waitress doesn't see her photo next to a Rape headline...
Anthony Rakis the Rapist is gonna get Raped in Rikers
Just paging through the photo gallery on their HTZ New York site I feel confident enough to say most of these girls couldn't place 2nd in a Miss Great Kills Landfill pageant.
What goes through the minds of these girls? No, really, I would like to know...
Interesting that these events allegedly occurred years ago, but this lawsuit was filed just weeks after the shuttering of Lehman HQ down the street...probably these girls' best source of tips.
its kinda fucked up you guys haven't changed the picture already. its shoddy journalism to run a photo of someone who is not in any way related to the story. at least put a bar over her eyes.
do they have a panty hose rule like hooter's?
I like the giant cross between her tits. I bet Jesus approves.
I hate the Hooters panty hose. It's like forcing an attractive person to wear a bimbo suit. It confirms my belief that hosiery is the root of all evil.
When you act like a whore you deserve to be treated like a filthy whore. These women had choices-show off your tits and ass for great tips and be mauled by scum of the earth or get real jobs... They craved cash and attention like any other dirty filthy whore
@10: Probably something to do with exchanging the money they get for being there for things like food and shelter, just like people at other jobs.
i love hot chicks in bikinis but this photo should be replaced.
10,000!!! way to much. Next time this guy should try Craigs list.
"I'm a little surprised that the Daily News would print the names of the alleged victims and even more surprised to see the names here."
The alleged victims filed a civil suit, making the choice to put their allegations into public record.
Printing their names isn't at all the same as printing those of victims who report a sexual assault, which most new sources wouldn't do.
Yes, a great picture for a rape story! Again, Jen Chung, you are the founder of this site and this is how you want to be represented. As a women you should be offended. This is the photo you want representing a rape story? This site really has issues, not just about racist but integrity. Whenever the founder is posting in the same story where racist remakes are being said and never denounce them, something is just wrong.
nice rack
Keen observation, #11.
People have been asking Gothamist to change this picture for almost 19 hours now, and still no? Why the determination to stay the course? Is John trying to smear an ex-girlfriend?
@SantosCollandriana
HTZ's salary and tips must be so poor that can only get strip club rejects.
"People have been asking Gothamist to change this picture for almost 19 hours now, and still no? Why the determination to stay the course?"
Because they see nothing wrong with the photo, and "people asking" don't make the decision.
If they do... OK, I'll ask that the photo stay. It's not a "rape story," it's a story about a lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct at restaurant where the female employees wear bikinis. A photo illustrating the outfits that are required to be worn at the establishment in question seems perfectly appropriate.
so are they prosecuting for the rape as well?