By Kathianne Boniello
Bayside civic leaders expressed shock and dismay Monday morning after news of an alleged weekend bias attack outside a Bell Boulevard restaurant in which a black man was beaten and robbed by a group of about 12 whites spread throughout the community.
Whitestone brothers Angelo, 18, and Giuseppe Gigliotti, 20, were arrested in the attack in which they allegedly beat a black man in the face and head with a gun outside the Byzantio Bar and Grill at 45-30 Bell Blvd., the Queens district attorney’s office said.
According to the criminal complaint filed by the Queens DA, the suspects allegedly cursed and yelled at George Saint Louis while they kicked and punched him. At one point during the attack, the suspects allegedly screamed at the victim, “What are you doing in our neighborhood?” the complaint said.
During the attack the suspects allegedly stole about $87 from Saint Louis as well as his gold chain, 111th Precinct Community Affairs Officer Santo Elardo said.
Elardo said Monday there was an ongoing investigation into whether or not underage drinking was a factor in the incident.
Mary de Bourbon, a spokeswoman for the DA’s office, described the incident, which occurred at about 1 a.m. Sunday morning, as a hate crime. According to the criminal complaint, about 10 other white people joined in the beating. Saint Louis was treated and released from North Shore University Hospital at Manhasset for lacerations and bruises.
De Bourbon said the 10 other suspects in the case were being sought and more arrests could be upcoming.
Civic leader Mandingo Tshaka, president of the Bayside Clear-Springs Council and black activist, said the attack showed that Bayside is not immune to racial bias.
“There’s a lot of racism in this area,” said Tshaka, who said he was not aware of any history of violence at Byzantio. He said even though southern Bayside, where the incident occurred, is an ethnically diverse community, “a lot of people don’t see that because it’s perceived as a white enclave.”
Loretta Napier, another black community activist and southern Bayside resident, said: “I’m appalled at a bias crime going on in this community. This should not be tolerated.”
Frank Skala, president of the East Bayside Homeowners Association and a white activist, said “it’s a sickening thought that we had this happen here.”
David McGivney, a night manager at Byzantio who was working at the restaurant during the attack, said he was also shocked by the event.
“This is a diverse place,” he said of the crowd at Byzantio Bar and Grill. “For something like that to happen blew my mind.”
McGivney described Byzantio’s as a café and bar that sells snacks and also has televisions for people who want to watch sports. The manager said the crowd at Byzantio’s is both ethnically diverse and features a wide-ranging age group.
Elardo said the incident began inside the restaurant when one of the Gigliotti brothers allegedly approached Saint Louis, who was sitting down at a table, and apparently stepped on his foot intentionally. When Saint Louis followed the Gigliotti brothers and their friends outside to get an apology, Elardo said, the group allegedly turned on him and began the beating.
Angelo Gigliotti and Giuseppe Gigliotti were arrested early Sunday morning near the scene of the attack and charged with several counts of robbery, assault, criminal possession of a weapon and menacing in connection with the attack, Elardo said.
The DA’s office said the brothers were arraigned in Criminal Court and released on $5,000 bail each Sunday. De Bourbon said the DA’s office had requested $50,000 bail for each of the suspects.
Skala voiced surprise at the number of people who allegedly joined in the attack and said “it could have been a lynching.”
Napier, who also said she had not heard of any complaints of bias at the restaurant, acknowledged that racism was not absent in Bayside.
“No matter where you live it’s there,” she said.
Tshaka said despite racist incidents “either we live together or we’ll be destroyed by one another.”
Reach reporter Kathianne Boniello by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 146.
