Despite another round of health department violations and an expose by The Post, a filthy Brooklyn restaurant at the center of an illegal migrant food-peddling ring remained open on Monday.
Despite city citations and an exclusive news report, dozens of migrants packed more than 50 coolers into waiting vans outside Guisa’o Restaurant in Bushwick, each containing $10 meals prepared in an unsanitary sweatshop.
“From what we know, it is against the law,” Odalys Vasquez, who said she was the operation’s manager, said outside the restaurant.
“But the truth is that this is how we all make a living.” All of them have kids. All of them have to feed their families. There is not always work elsewhere.
Vasquez said, “We are already thinking about getting a license because it is just reporters and health inspectors coming in.” “That is a lot.”
That might be hard for city officials to sell.
The Post reported on Sunday that Guisa’o got a new set of fines from the city health department during their most recent inspection. These included fly infestations and unsafe food storage.
The restaurant got 49 penalty points for violations during the Nov. 20 inspection. This came after the city visited in July and gave the restaurant 96 penalty points and a $10,959 bill for unpaid taxes.
The Post first wrote about the disgusting operations last week, when it followed the migrants on their rounds, starting with putting the coolers in vans and rolling them around the five boroughs.
The meals, which include chicken, beef, fish, rice, or fries, are then sold to construction workers or random people on the street for $10 each. The cycle starts all over again at Guisa’o restaurant.
On Monday, it was full speed ahead, and migrants did not seem to know that their illegal and possibly dangerous food scam had been found out.
A news reporter was asked by a group of migrants why he was outside the restaurant, and one van driver kept moving the vehicle to block a photographer’s view of what was going on.
A spokesman for Mayor Eric Adams said over the weekend that the city knew about the food ring and was “looking into what more can be done.”
Those in charge said Adams is still asking the White House for help in finding legal work and services for the thousands of immigrants living in New York City at taxpayers’ expense.
