US Labor Department lawsuit recovers $780,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 40 employees of Long Island, NY, pizzeria
Court’s order also includes $20,000 in civil money penalties for willful violations of the law WESTBURY, N.Y. —The U.S. Department of Labor has recovered $780,000 in back wages and liquidated damages for 40 employees of Martino’s Pizzeria Inc., doing business as Mama’s Pizzeria and Restaurant, in Copiague, N.Y., resolving a lawsuit filed against the company for violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The court’s judgment prohibits the company and owners Gaetano and Grace Pinello from future violations of the FLSA; orders the immediate payment of $390,000 in minimum wage and overtime back wages, and another $390,000 in liquidated damages; and requires an additional $20,000 in civil money penalties be paid to the government for willful violations of the law. “When employers take advantage of workers who may not know their rights, the Labor Department will step in,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “This case is significant because 40 people who worked hard for low wages ...