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Staten Island Tanning Salon Owner Threatened With Jail And Fined For Reopening Business
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David Cruz
Published May 28, 2020
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Mark Lennihan/AP/Shutterstock
By
David Cruz
Published May 28, 2020
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The owner of a Staten Island tanning salon was ticketed for reopening his business on Thursday morning in defiance of the city and state's order to keep non-essential businesses such as his shuttered because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He closed his store soon after, and was reportedly warned by police he could be thrown in jail and have his license revoked if he disobeys the order again.
Bobby Catone, owner of Sunbelievable in Great Kills, ripped up his NYPD-issued summons for flouting the order in front of a crowd of supporters who staged a demonstration in favor of reopening. Many held signs urging the city to reopen all small businesses, with one sign reading "unlock New York."
Catone specifically violated administrative code 3-108, a Class B misdemeanor that mandates emergency orders must be followed. Each violation carries a $1,000 fine.
Non-essential businesses have remained closed for more than two months since Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a PAUSE order as a way of reducing the spread of the virus. Small business owners were eligible to qualify for federal loans or grants to stay afloat.
"They keep pushing back the goalpost," Catone told WABC-TV. "We don't know what to do. What do you do? At some point, you're willing to stand up. What's the alternative? You either shut down until question mark, or you fight."
Catone told the New York Post a day before reopening that he grew frustrated over the closure of this three locations on the island, noting he's been losing money since he's closed.
“We did what were were supposed to do … we flattened the curve … in Staten Island, we basically demolished the curve,” Catone told the Post**.** “So why are they treating us like prisoners?”
Staten Island has seen the fewest number of fatalities because of the virus, with 723 deaths reported, compared to rest of the boroughs that have each seen quadruple-digit deaths.
Catone briefly serviced just one client, Councilman Joseph Borelli, who represents the district and has been openly against the closure of these stores.
On Twitter, the Republican lawmaker posted a selfie from inside the business, chastising Mayor Bill de Blasio and Cuomo for allowing small businesses across the city to remain closed.
"It's a shame [de Blasio] and [Cuomo] do not see the desperation in business owners eyes as they shut them down," wrote Borelli.
New York City is on the verge of the first phase of reopening with retail businesses allowed to resume provided they abide by social distancing rules and 50 percent capacity inside businesses.
De Blasio maintains that this isn't the moment for non-essential businesses to reopen.
"I'm not into free agents," de Blasio said at his daily briefing Thursday morning. "I'm not into people deciding that they get to make the rules and they can do something everyone else can't do. Any business that attempts to open that should not yet be open, we're going to go, we're going to tell them, 'Shut down right now.'"
De Blasio pressed non-essential business owners and their supporters to be patient.
"I don't think it's too much for people to be asked to wait until they get the all clear to do the thing that's safe, to do the thing that's healthy because these numbers, these are about human lives," de Blasio said.
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small business
COVID-19
coronavirus reopening
David Cruz
David is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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