Family Begs for Release of NYC Pizza Delivery Man Still Detained by ICE

Family begs for the release of the Brooklyn pizza guy detained by ICE

NYC pizza delivery man Pablo Villavicencio has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) since early June, and his family is now begging for his release. In a City Hall press conference, his daughters and wife implored lawmakers to release him from custody. Villavicencio will face a judge today. He was previously granted a stay of deportation after being detained after delivering pizza to Brooklyn military base Fort Hamilton and unable to provide identification. He was in process of applying for citizenship alongside his American wife and children when he was detained.

Da Marcella owner says handicap ramp lawsuit closed his restaurant

West Village restaurateur Max Leifer says he was forced to shutter his Italian restaurant Da Marcella last week following a lengthy and pricey legal battle over the lack of handicap accessibility. Jose Figueroa sued Leifer last year over the restaurant not having a handicap ramp, asking for $25,000 to settle instead. Leifer refused, and has since paid steep legal fees to cover Figueroa’s attorney, as mandated by the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Figueroa and his attorney Stuart Finkelstein have sued 21 other Manhattan businesses since 2017.

A Kajitsu regular transformed the restaurant’s music

A renowned composer who regularly ate at Midtown vegetarian Japanese restaurant Kajitsu hated the music so much there that he now makes the playlist himself. Ryuichi Sakamoto wrote the restaurant asking to take over the background music selection, saying, “the music in your restaurant is like Trump Tower.” Tracks now include musicians such as Wayne Shorter, Nils Frahm, and Bill Evans.

The Loyal adds lunch to the mix

Chef John Fraser’s newest downtown restaurant the Loyal is now serving lunch. With a two-star Times review under its belt, the American restaurant has opened up its hours to include weekday lunch with dishes such as a soft shell crab sandwich, Chinese chicken salad, and a burger. There’s also a three-course prix fixe for $25 that includes two courses and a Neapolitan ice cream sundae for dessert. The full menu is below.