As expected, eight of the nine family-owned Coney Island bars, eateries, and attractions which are facing sudden eviction will be fighting their fate in court. (The only one not joining the lawsuit is Pio Pio Riko Peruvian food stand, which opened last year.) Anthony Berlingieri, owner of Shoot the Freak and Beer Island, tells The Post he and the other businesses have hired a lawyer and will sue Zamperla, the company leasing the property from the city. He says the businesses spent thousands of dollars each coming up with business plans at Zamperla’s request to justify lease renewals "even though Zamperla already decided to kick them out."
"Trust me, there is no way these businesses will be leaving on the 15th," Brooklyn lawyer Marc Aronson vows. Ruby's Bar and Grill, which was mourned at a party/protest on Saturday, pumped $40,000 into the bar and gave Zamperla a detailed description of how it could continue to make money. But last week they got an eviction notice, along with the others, telling them to vacate by November 15th. Zamperla's goal is to create a "world-class Boardwalk... a Coney Island capable of attracting visitors 365 days a year." Because no visit to New York in February would be complete without a visit to a generic sports bar on Coney Island!
Below, watch Amusing the Zillion's video from Saturday's Ruby's wake, featuring Coney Island historian Charles Denson, who told the angry drunken crowd, "These are family businesses. These are businesses that are Coney Island. This is Coney Island. It’s not some plastic amusement park. And it’s not some generic, gentrified restaurant. This is the real Coney Island."
