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A Side of Gay Bashing with Your Corner Bistro Burger?
By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 4, 2009
Modified Feb 4, 2009
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Feb 4, 2009
Modified Feb 4, 2009
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, the self-described "last of the bohemian bars in West Greenwich Village," and a popular last stop for late night snacks, may have just become a little less appetizing. BlackBook published a first hand account today by Nick Haramis, who recently went to the establishment for a midnight meal with his boyfriend and some other friends. Shortly after sitting down, a waiter or busboy allegedly threw Haramis to the floor: "The side of my head the last thing to hit the ground. There was some confusion as my boyfriend tried to stop the whole thing, and was then punched in the face, while the Bistro worker screamed 'faggots' a few times, for good measure."
After leaving they spotted some NYPD officers, who couldn't do much since they hadn't seen anything and there was no evidence of assault. Haramis decided not to file an official claim and instead, along with his boyfriend, went back seeking some form of justice. They talked to "the older of two mainstay bartenders," who was nearby when the incident took place, but he denied seeing anything, and told them “Get out and don’t ever, ever come back.”
We just spoke with Greg, a bartender at Corner Bistro (the manager is allegedly on vacation), and he told us he "heard something from a bartender" about the incident, but wasn't there himself and "can't give any details."
UPDATE: Since posting, another former customer of Corner Bistro, who would like to remain anonymous, has sent us his own story, which is after the jump.
A few years ago, I was actually beat up by the waiter of Corner Bistro (Muscly Asian guy - always wears a Yankees hat). The bartender had said something really insulting to me out of nowhere, and I responded in a like manner. The next thing I know, my hands were being held behind my back and I was pummeled several times, leaving me bruised on my face and neck.
While it had nothing to do with gay bashing (I'm straight, for one), the incident left me feeling incredibly helpless. At the time, I was under 21, and I didn't think there was anything I could do without incriminating myself. My brother even went to the bar the following day to find out their perspective on the situation, only to hear denial from the white-haired bartender/owner ("Um...I don't know what you're talking about...", etc.).
I'm sure these incidents are not isolated; I would guarantee that many other patrons have been put in similar situations. An employee of any business should never touch, hit, push, or punch any customer, no matter the situation, especially if you run an operation that serves alcohol.
Anyway, I was just going to say, if you could offer my support to the victim, at least tell him he's not the only one.
Tagged
corner bistro
gay bashing
west village
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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