Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
It Appears That Roberta's Owes $480K In Unpaid Taxes
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 19, 2015
Modified Aug 19, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Gothamist
By
Rebecca Fishbein
Published Aug 19, 2015
Modified Aug 19, 2015
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It's always fun to find all the familiar names floating around the state Department of Taxation and Finance's lists of the top 250 tax delinquent businesses and individuals—Strip House! Lansky's (RIP)! Hahm Ji Bach! And this year, it looks like one of the city's most celebrated pizza restaurants is struggling when it comes to paying off Uncle Sam—a company associated with Roberta's in Bushwick appears to owe the government roughly $480K. Guess those $700 mesh tanks can't quite sate the Tax Man.
The recently-released tax delinquent business list [pdf] includes a company dubbed "NINETEEN TWENTY FOUR, INC." which was listed for a docketed balance amount of $479,724.14. Further research revealed that the business name Nineteen Twenty Four, Inc., registered to an address at 271 Moore Street in Brooklyn, has been used in connection with Roberta's on a number of occasions, including in a lawsuit [pdf] filed against former owner Chris Parachini in February, and on this state Department of Labor recruiting event listing.
We reached out to Roberta's multiple times to see if the owners could shed any light on their allegedly delinquent taxes, but have not heard back. James Gazzale, a spokesman for the state's tax department, confirmed that Nineteen Twenty Four, Inc. in fact owes the state $482,085.71, with two warrants outstanding for corporate tax and sales tax. A source familiar with the list noted that it's not uncommon for businesses to collect sales tax from customers that they then fail to pay back to the government—it seems that that's what happened here.
Roberta's, which has suffered not just one but two high profile lawsuits this year, isn't the only recognizable name on the tax department's shit list. Restaurants like the aforementioned Hahm Ji Bach, Strip House and Tatiana, along with now-shuttered tiki bar PKNYare all named on the business list. Restaurant proprietors like Nello Balan (Nello), David Ruggiero (now-shuttered Lansky's and Sushi-a-Gogo), and Chris Reda (The Griffin) are on the list of delinquent individuals [pdf] in connection with various projects.
Tagged
bushwick
roberta's
tax
taxes
original
Rebecca Fishbein
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Published Oct 10, 2026
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
The global dish is shapeshifting and ubiquitous.
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Where to eat in Greenpoint, Brooklyn right now, from Polish to Sichuan to Iberian
By
Robert Sietsema
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .