Angelina's Ristorante Wine Bar Owner David P. Giarusso Jr. RUDE, OBNOXIOUS, ACCUSATORY & THREATENING! RUINED MY GIRLFRIEND'S BIRTHDAY DINNER! Ogunquit Maine

To celebrate my girlfriend's birthday on July 26, 2008, I took her to Ogunquit, Maine, which is one of her favorite summertime destinations. We usually stay overnight, have dinner and explore the local attractions. On the recommendation of a co-worker, we decided to have dinner at Angelina's, an Italian-themed restaurant on Main Street near Ogunquit's downtown. I found the menu a bit pricey for the quality of the food that was delivered, but it was her birthday and we made the most of it. I paid the check, tipped the waiter 15% (everything paid in cash) and walked to the lobby as my girlfriend went to use the restroom.

In the lobby, I was confronted by a visibly angry David P. Giarusso, Jr. (the owner) who demanded to know what was wrong with the meal. I introduced myself and I told him that the meal was OK and asked him what his problem was. He angrily told me that I did not tip his waiter. I told him in response that I indeed did so and that there must be some mistake. He told me that he counted the money and that there was no tip. First of all, I set him straight and told him that a tip was just that, a gratuity, not a tax, and that the amount of the tip was at the discretion of the customer; it is not an entitlement. I also told him that there is a possibility that the waiter pocketed the money so that he did not have to declare it for tax reasons or that the barkeep, who operates the cash register, may have put all of the money, tip included, into the cash register in error.

Mr. Giarusso Jr. was hearing none of this. He walked away from me and confronted my girlfriend as she was exiting the restroom. He began to raise his voice and yell at her in front of guests and staff alike. She was almost in tears and quickly handed him $15 cash just to shut him up and end the verbal abuse. It got so bad that I almost had to call in the police.

I told Mr. Giarusso Jr. to verify his facts rather than just start falsely accusing people. He continued to raise his voice and yell at us as we walked out of the restaurant. Needless to say, our evening was ruined. DAVID P. GIARUSSO JR. IS OBNOXIOUS, UNPROFESSIONAL, A LIAR AND A LOUDMOUTH. HIS RESTAURANT SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS.

Tom T.
DRACUT, Massachusetts
U.S.A.