By Nick Divito, Courthouse News
The home, which served as the inspiration for The Great Gatsby, is a classic example of the rich's class warfare.
The owner of Oheka Castle — America's second-largest private home and an inspiration for “The Great Gatsby” — cheats his workers on wages and tips, a class action claims in Federal Court. The lawsuit comes a week after the castle's owner was shot in the head on the castle's grounds by a masked gunman who remains at large.
Named plaintiff Michael Ernano, who worked as a server and bartender at the popular wedding destination, sued Gary Melius, his sons-in-law John Anthony Dipetra and Fabian Santibanez, and the castle's catering company, Oheka Management Corp.
The castle, which according to the lawsuit is valued at more than $43 million, was one of the inspirations for F. Scott Fitgerald's novel and was used as the setting for Orson Welles' 1941 film “Citizen Kane” as the palatial estate, Xanadu.
With 32 guestrooms, the castle hosts catered events for as many as 400 diners, and can accommodate up to 1,000 guests, according to the lawsuit.
”Along with the incredible opulence of Oheka Castle comes a hefty price tag reaping substantial revenues for defendants Gary Melius and the Oheka Entities,” the complaint states.
”On an episode of the reality television program, Bridezillas, one bride-to-be mortgaged her house in order to finance her fairy tale wedding at the enchanting Oheka Castle.”
According to the complaint, Melius has boasted that revenue came to $3.6 million in 2011 and hoped to increase that to more than $3.8 million in 2012.
”Despite earning millions from the labor of their servants, behind the castle walls,” the lawsuit states, Melius and his team “keep more of those revenues for themselves and cheat workers of wages and tips.”
Ernano claims that he and other workers were not paid for overtime worked, nor for all the hours they worked, that they were not paid in a timely manner, and that their tips were stolen.
Ernano claims castle managers required workers to carry over their overtime hours into subsequent weeks to …read more
Source: ALTERNET
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