Tina Oppedisano, manager of Little Neck’s Il Bacco and daughter of
the restaurant’s owner. Photo by Dean Moses
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.2 COM | JAN. 8-JAN. 14, 2021
BY JENNA BAGCAL
A Queens-based social services organization made the holidays
a bit merrier and brighter for local seniors this year.
The team of volunteers and staff at Commonpoint Queens
— formerly known as the Samuel Field Y and Central Queens
Y — prepared meals and care packages for 200 homebound seniors,
who received these much-needed resources on Christmas
Eve.
According to the organization’s CEO Danielle Ellman, seniors
are likely to experience the effects of quarantine and
cold weather “more acutely than others,” which leads to feelings
to isolation and depression.
“By delivering prepared meals and care packages, we provide
a friendly visit, albeit socially distanced and masked, as
we deliver the packages. In this way, we can check-in with
our older adult community ensuring they are receiving the
resources they need to weather the pandemic and come out
the other side healthy in body and mind. We are incredibly
grateful to our team of volunteers who prepared and delivered
the packages. We couldn’t do it without them,” Ellman
said.
In addition to
food and supply delivery
for seniors,
Commonpoint offers
a range of supportive
community
programing, including
emergency assistance,
remote and
virtual learning
resources and employment
and career
assistance.
For more information
on their slate
of programming,
visit www.CommonpointQueens.
org.
Reach reporter
Jenna Bagcal by
e-mail at jbagcal@
qns.com or by phone
at (718) 260-2583.
BY JACOB KAYE
A Little Neck restaurant
at the center of several controversies
over the past few
months had its liquor license
suspended after it hosted a
maskless holiday party that
garnered condemnation from
the governor, mayor and a
slew of others earlier this
month.
First reported by Patch, Il
Bacco Ristorante, located at
253-24 Northern Blvd., had its
alcohol privileges suspended
by the New York State Liquor
Authority (NYSLA) on Dec.
24 after investigations began
into a party hosted at the eatery
that appeared to violate
COVID-19 guidelines.
“After video surfaced of
a potential superspreader
holiday party at Il Bacco with
maskless dancing, the SLA
immediately launched an investigation,”
an SLA spokesperson
told QNS Thursday.
“During a follow-up inspection,
investigators found
flagrant violations of indoor
dining regulations and existing
health safety and Alcoholic
Beverage Control laws,
while verifying the maskless
party depicted in the video
did in fact occur. This summary
suspension should send
a strong message that we have
zero tolerance for establishments
that put New Yorkers’
health at risk.”
As part of its investigation,
the SLA found that, in
addition to patrons dining
indoors and staff not wearing
masks properly, the restaurant
was operating with several
safety violations, including
non-working emergency
exit lights, improperly stored
propane tanks and non-inspected
fire extinguishers.
The emergency suspension
will remain in effect indefinitely,
the SLA said.
The party, thrown by the
Whitestone Republican Club,
came under fire after video
surfaced online of attendees,
including City Council candidate
Vickie Paladino, making
their way through a conga
line without masks or social
distancing. The SLA confirmed
the accuracy of the
video with Il Bacco’s owner’s
son and several party attendees.
Beyond the suspension of
their host’s liquor license, the
Republican club’s party may
have resulted in the spread of
COVID-19.
At least three people who
attended the Dec. 11 celebration,
including one who was
recently hospitalized, have
tested positive for the virus,
as reported by the Queens
Daily Eagle.
“Yes, we held a holiday
party. A good time was had by
all,” the Whitestone Republican
Club wrote in a Facebook
post following the event. “But
we are not the mask police,
nor are we the social distancing
police. Adults have the absolute
right to make their own
decisions, and clearly many
chose to interact like normal
humans and not paranoid
zombies in hazmat suits.”
Governor Andrew Cuomo
condemned the gathering
shortly after a video of the
event, shared by journalist
Matt Binder, circulated online.
“I saw the video — COVID
conga lines are not smart.
That’s my official position,”
Cuomo said at a Dec. 22 press
call, laughing in incredulity.
“Why you would do an
unmasked conga line in the
middle of a COVID pandemic,
whatever your political
persuasion, defies logical explanation,
as far as I’m concerned.”
Il Bacco’s owner Joe Oppedisano
and his daughter, Tina
Oppedisano, who manages
the restaurant, sued Cuomo
and Mayor Bill de Blasio in
August, claiming the shut
down of indoor dining in New
York City led to “irreparable
harm” to the restaurant and
the industry at large.
Neither Il Bacco’s ownership
nor the Whitestone Republican
Club immediately
responded to requests for
comment from QNS.
Photos via Commonpoint Queens
Commonpoint Queens
donates meals and
supplies to seniors
during holiday season
Little Neck restaurant loses
liquor license after hosting
maskless GOP club party
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