Thursday, November 10, 2016

Controversy Erupts Over Forest Hills Restaurant Owner's Tweet

I don't think I've ever been contacted by so many readers about a story before. Thanks to all who have written. This is a really sad story. I know this person has been a local business owner for quite a few years (I used to go to the Greek restaurant, by the way, but didn't love the food and moved on years ago...) Anyway, I hate to see a local business owner self-destruct. And I especially hate to post negative things about local businesses. This is one of the only times I think I have ever done so, as any long-time reader will affirm. As I've said before, if I don't like a local business, I just don't give them any coverage on the blog. Usually....

From Gothamist: Queens Restaurant Owner Outrages Neighbors With Call To Grope Women Trump-Style
Aspiotis seems to have touched the third rail of public opinion with a Facebook post on Election Day.

15 comments:

  1. Thanks for writing about this, Drake. I wouldn't have heard about it otherwise (I don't follow this schmuck on twitter and I'm kind of shocked so many people do. I mean, why?) and I'm very glad I did.

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  2. Ew. Look at this disgusting creep. He really expects us to believe yesterday was the first time he ever groped some poor woman's p**sy? I don't buy that.

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  3. I'll certainly give this place a miss, what a pig!

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  4. I was a "semi-regular" there. I will NEVER bring my family there again. What a disgusting pig!

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  5. That's so funny, my friends and I were just talking about how important boycotts can be and this guy comes along looking like the perfect candidate for one.

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  6. What a disgrace to the community, I will never bring my family in that establishment again.

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  7. I think he's very sexy (so untypical for Forest Hills, unfortunately), and he was always so friendly to me whenever I visited his restaurant. However, based on this and other stories I've heard about him, he is indeed a disgrace, and doesn't belong in our hood. Get lost, creep!

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  8. He's really screwed now -- just got posted on Eater.com...

    http://ny.eater.com/2016/11/11/13599060/corfu-grill-trump-nyc

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  9. And, now Grubstreet: http://www.grubstreet.com/2016/11/restaurateur-jokes-about-grabbing-people-by-their-genitals.html

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  10. How is it that this scum owns a gay bar? Public social media posts are not "just for my friends" and anyone who jokes about that with their friends is still an a$$hole. Disgusting. I have never been to his restaurant and now I know that I don't ever want to.

    Agree with Anonymous #1. #notinmyFoHi

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    1. Its definitely a bizarre anomaly. Maybe he just has a demented sense of humor? Based on the interview and his other posts, he definitely seems sleezy though. At worst, he's everything people are saying. At best, he's an idiot for sharing something like that. If you want to make off color jokes with your friends, do in private.

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    2. I don't think it's a joke. Based on his various social media feeds, this person's entire life seems to revolve around fondling women whether they like it or not. Revolting.

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  11. Interestingly enough... https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20161110/forest-hills/donald-trump-forest-hills-bukharian-community

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  12. Not that interesting nor surprising -- the Bukharian community stays to their own and appear to be suspect to all 'others' . They are fiercely pro-Israel (and, consequently, anti-Muslim; probably also reflective of Uzbekistan turning into a Turkic Muslim country post-Soviet breakup). They are also very religiously conservative (practicing a Orthodox Sephardic form of Judaism) and appear to be pro-Russian (many of them speak Russian due to their history and only recent migration to the US, specifically Rego Park and Forest Hills, in the 90's)...

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