Lawyer drops discrimination suit against Williamsburg bakery after learning co-owner has possible mob ties
BY JOHN MARZULLI NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Thursday, June 11, 2015, 2:30 AM

Donald Weiss had filed papers in Brooklyn Federal Court dropping her discrimination suit against Fortunato Brothers Café and Bakery in Williamsburg. Weiss told his client, Valerie Williams, he was dropping the suit for his safety.

Donald Weiss had filed papers in Brooklyn Federal Court dropping her discrimination suit against Fortunato Brothers Café and Bakery in Williamsburg. Weiss told his client, Valerie Williams, he was dropping the suit for his safety.

Drop the lawsuit, take the cannoli.

The lawyer for a disabled woman suing a Brooklyn pastry shop for not being wheelchair-accessible withdrew the lawsuit just days after learning the bakery’s co-owner has reputed ties to the Mafia and was tried for a gangland murder, the Daily News has learned.

Valerie Williams, 50, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was shocked to learn Wednesday that lawyer Donald Weiss had filed papers in Brooklyn Federal Court dropping her discrimination suit against Fortunato Brothers Café and Bakery in Williamsburg.

Williams immediately contacted the law firm and said an associate told her the suit had been withdrawn “for my safety.”

“He (Weiss) must be scared of them,” Williams said. “I don’t have anything against the establishment. I just wanted a wheelchair ramp.”

Williams said she has been customer of the bakery for years, but finally got fed up with having to wait outside while friends purchased her favorite chocolate mousse pastry because she couldn’t navigate the two steps at the entrance.

“I used to make a joke about the men standing outside, I called them ‘The Godfathers,’” she said. “I live in the Spanish section (of Williamsburg) and when you go into the Italian section it’s a whole other world.”

Weiss filed the suit under the Americans with Disabilities Act on June 3.

The following day Weiss told The News that he was unaware that prosecutors had alleged bakery co-owner Mario Fortunato was an associate of the Genovese crime family and had been convicted both in state and federal courts of participating in the 1994 murder of loanshark Tino Lombardi in the San Giuseppe Social Club on Graham Ave., and the wounding of Lombardi’s cousin, Michael D’Urso.

Both convictions were overturned on appeal and Fortunato pocketed a $300,000 settlement from the state earlier this year.

Weiss filed a “notice of voluntary dismissal” of the suit Wednesday.

Neither Weiss nor the bakery returned calls for comment.

Williams said she is so upset that about the suit being dropped without consulting her, she is reconsidering the law firm representing her in a similar discrimination suit that is pending against a Spanish restaurant. In the complaint against Fortunato Brothers, Williams claimed she was entitled to recover $2,000 in damages plus $500 for each of the 34 alleged violations found in the entrance, dining area and bathroom.

“I have nothing against them. I don’t know the owner. I just love their pastries,” Williams said.

And I was being sarcastic as well. You know how everything is is about racism now in the media and such.

exactly

I removed the post.

In life, you've got to be able to laugh at yourself



Once the subject of New Jack City came up, You should have offered cook some "collared green linguine" or chicken alfredo....or chitlins alfredo"

And I was being sarcastic as well. You know how everything is is about racism now in the media and such.

well the racist crap is still out there sorry you do not want to hear about but i am tired of BS too. tell your folks stop thinking you can F over folks and they going to keep taking it damn that shit

A racist white cop doesn't represent me. I could careless about color. I care more about class. It's obvious you have none.

well the racist crap is still out there sorry you do not want to hear about but i am tired of BS too. tell your folks stop thinking you can F over folks and they going to keep taking it damn that shit

only folks who deal in stereotyping would paint any group of folks with one brush

Wonder if she's the same lady who was suing that guy Vinny TVs bagel shop for not having a handicap entrance. It was in the post last summer. Probaly is this chick got a good scheme. But the mob probaly gonna push her down some stairs or some shit.

Probaly is this chick got a good scheme. But the mob probaly gonna push her down some stairs or some shit.

this is a great bakery, would highly recommend if you are in williamsburg, mario hangs out in the back a lot, not sure if he is still active or not

this is a great bakery, would highly recommend if you are in williamsburg, mario hangs out in the back a lot, not sure if he is still active or not

@Satch,

Your post is BS. I was clearly F'ing with LIG. You telling him to "tell HIS folks" to stop doing this or that is about as silly as when some trolls here have told me "tell your people" to stop doing this that or the third.

I don't like those kinds of comments because you and I don't speak for or represent ALL BLACK people anymore than LIG speaks for or represents all WHITE people.

I'm all for people expressing their honest opinions but I'm fed up with troll posts. There are a bunch of threads in general section that deal with general issues in society, feel free to add your insight to those threads but please none of THIS type of stuff.




right on brother!!!!!!!!! i see you called cook county a troll too.