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Food

McFadden's a Hotbed of Drunken FDNY Belligerence!


By

John Del Signore

Published Dec 10, 2008

Modified Dec 10, 2008


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By

John Del Signore

Published Dec 10, 2008

Modified Dec 10, 2008


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121008mcfadden.jpgAs if you needed any further reason to steer clear of McFadden's after last weekend's massive brawl, the Daily News recalls that this isn't the first time blood's been spilled at the Turtle Bay bar and restaurant. Back in 2004, one Todd Barnes took his date there for a drink and walked out with part of his ear missing, courtesy of one of New York's bravest.

Or so he contends—his assailant was never positively identified, but firefighter Sal Falesto, a brother of the bar's co-owner, was drinking at the bar with 20 or 30 off-duty firefighters. Barnes's lawyers obtained emails from a private investigator hired by McFadden's, revealing that earlier in the night a bouncer wanted to eject the firefighters for their unruly behavior, only to be rebuffed by Falesto's brother.

Later, Barnes and a firefighter bumped into each other, and in the ensuing brawl somebody tore off a chunk of his ear with a broken beer bottle. So yeah, maybe check out the Campbell Apartment next time you're around 42nd Street. On the other hand, Barnes did get nearly $1 million in the court settlement, so anyone got an FDNY T-shirt we can borrow?

Tagged

bar

bar brawl

brawl

ear

fdny

fire department

history

lawsuit

manhattan

mcfadden's


John Del Signore

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Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


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