The Patriot Post® · Big Government Versus the Little Guy

In some ways, it’s the proverbial David versus Goliath battle: Mac’s Public House versus New York City and its Democrat rulers. Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo have been infamously tyrannical in their coronavirus orders, while they’re also infamously selective and hypocritical.

Mac’s Pub is a Staten Island establishment among those ordered closed to “prevent the spread” of COVID. Some 1,000 New York restaurants have gone out of business permanently since March, and the pub is trying desperately to avoid that fate by defying orders and remaining open, even if it means legal trouble or mockery from Hollywood’s elites. The pub first drew attention for declaring itself an “autonomous zone” in a coy reference to Seattle’s lawless protest area.

You can imagine how that went over with de Blasio.

“He’s making a big deal about what’s happened with his bar,” de Blasio taunted. “Well, guess what? Law and order means when the state of New York says your bar needs to be closed, your bar needs to be closed to protect people’s health and safety. No excuses.”

No excuses? Try the arbitrary (but color-coded!) dividing line the mayor set that put the pub on the wrong side. “If we can go a block and a half and get a cheeseburger, this place should be open,” said Lou Gelormino, the pub’s attorney. “If anybody can show me science that the COVID virus stops at the railroad tracks, we’d be more than happy to shut down. Until then, we’d like the same consideration given to the other half of Staten Island and being able to serve our cheeseburgers and our beer here.”

Unfortunately, the bar’s co-owner, Danny Presti, rammed a sheriff with his Jeep during a kerfuffle over the shutdown. The extent of the deputy’s injuries are disputed, as is whether the deputy properly announced himself. Nonetheless, it’s not going to make the bar owners’ case any easier.

“It’s a tale of two cities,” Staten Islander John Tabacco said. “Walmart just announced they’re paying $700 million in bonuses, and Staten Island restaurant owners are getting arrested two times in a week for trying to make a hundred bucks.” Indeed, the fact that retail giants like Amazon and Walmart have thrived during the pandemic while small businesses are closing left and right illustrates the real story here. Why can Walmart operate but Mac’s can’t? These two owners aren’t perfect, but they represent millions of Americans who are being crushed by tyranny in the name of safety.