Posts Tagged ‘ Laguna Grill and Martini Bar ’

Jersey Shore Bar Caught in Vodka Switch Scam

December 13th, 2011. By AbiK

Is it any wonder that New Jersey gets the rap it does—surely you saw the “revised” map of NJ that was going viral last week—when there are consumer fraud stories like this to report? Full disclosure: this is being penned in “Christie Country”, per the new map.

Our focus, however, for this gem is Brigantine, NJ—just north of Atlantic City.

It seems that the Laguna Grill and Martini Bar there had been serving up lower than top-shelf vodka in top-shelf vodka bottles. So, for example, maybe the label being poured was “Stoli” but the vodka hitting the glass was Popov. Or in this case, Burnett’s or Absolut. It’s a higher stakes version of the put-Catsup-in-a-Heinz-bottle scam that’s been the ruin of many a fine french-fry order.

Here’s the thing that makes this a stereotypically Jersey story. See, it’s not like any self-respecting bar-frequenting martini drinker has never heard of such a practice—that can happen anywhere. And, in a heavily trafficked bar such a thing can be mitigated by asking for a new bottle—it won’t go to waste, after all. So no—the fact that a vodka scam like this was going on is not, in and of itself, a Joisey moment. That honor is derived from the fact that these fools got caught—and caught badly!

If you’re going to scam straight-up vodka or vodka-based martini drinkers, you need to be a few steps ahead of them. And for heaven’s sake, don’t take your cues from Hansel and Gretel and leave a blatant trail—the object is to NOT be found.

According to CourierPostOline.com, not only did investigators—who searched the premises of Laguna Grill after a few tips—find a “large red funnel” in the bar storage area, but—and this is key—there was also a cardboard sign posted telling bar staff to save the empty bottles of top-shelf vodka brand.

That perhaps would’ve been enough of a trail to make investigators raise an eyebrow–but this gets better.

On the heels of denying any allegations of scamming customers with cheap vodka, Prudenzia “Maria” Pullella (backstory: she’s the bar manager, and the bar is owned by Dominic “Tony” Pullella, who happens to be a Brigantine Councilman—can’t make this sh*t up!)—another little discovery was made.

A little accounts receivable tracking revealed that, gee whiz, more top-shelf vodka was being sold than was being purchased! How could that be?

And so, Maria Pullella had a bit of egg on her face as the jig—jigger?—was up.

And now it’s penalty time. The beachfront Laguna Grill and Martini Bar will close for a seven-day period in the summer (high season! cha-ching!) and will also fork over a $23,000 fine. That’s a lot of vodka—top-shelf or not.

Tags: Brigantine NJ, Consumer Fraud, Laguna Grill and Martini Bar, Maria Pullella, Vodka Scam
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