Disabled veteran food vendor sues NYC for $8M after arrest: ‘He wants to make a living’

A disabled US Army veteran and longtime food cart vendor has filed an $8 million lawsuit against the city claiming he was falsely arrested for trying to make a living, according to court documents. Food seller Armando Crescenzi was arrested and issued a summons for “unlawful vending” back in February as he worked his cart

A disabled US Army veteran and longtime food cart vendor has filed an $8 million lawsuit against the city claiming he was falsely arrested for trying to make a living, according to court documents.

Food seller Armando Crescenzi was arrested and issued a summons for “unlawful vending” back in February as he worked his cart on West 34th Street and Broadway, according to his suit filed last week in Manhattan Supreme Court.

Armando Crescenzi standing by while his food cart was inspected back in 2019. Michael Dalton for NY Post
Crescenzi posing with his tickets in 2011. Chad Rachman/New York Post

“It’s very basic,” said his attorney, Gary Fish. “He wants to make a living and the police are interfering with that.”

While an administrative court dismissed the case back in April, Fish said there are too many cops issuing summons to disabled veterans working as food vendors, who get special privileges from the state.

“The police are handing out these summons like candy,” Fish said, “and invariably, these cases get dismissed in court.” 

Crescenzi selling scarves in 2009. Dan Brinzac for NY Post

As a protected class, disabled military vets are allowed “absolute blanket protection” to operate as a vendor where they choose, per an 80-year-old state general business law, Fish said, akin to a “get out of jail free card.”

Fish said that Crescenzi’s lawsuit is about making sure police officers understand the law and stop hassling the city’s hard-working disabled military veterans. 

Police ignorance surrounding the legal privileges given to the nation’s heroes trying to make ends meet means that “there is an element of egregiousness inherent in each and every summons that’s issued,” Fish said.

Crescenzi’s lawyer says his client just “wants to make a living.” Michael Dalton for NY Post

“The police have been on notice for quite some time,” Fish told The Post. “These disabled American military veterans have an absolute right to vend.” 

Crescenzi, a Gulf War vet who is no stranger to getting hassled by the man, declined to be interviewed.

City officials did not reply to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

Total
0
Shares
Leave a Reply
Related Posts

Mexican drug kingpin Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada, who co-founded Sinaloa cartel, in US custody: sources

MEXICO CITY, July 25 – Mexican drug kingpin Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the co-founder of the notorious Sinaloa drug cartel, is in U.S. custody, two sources familiar with the operation told Reuters on Thursday. Zambada founded the Sinaloa Cartel along with now-jailed drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, and he faces a litany of indictments for crimes relating to drug
The New Sports Coming to LA 2028 Olympics
Read More

The New Sports Coming to LA 2028 Olympics

The next 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will feature several brand-new sports, as well as the return of some sports that haven't been included in decades. One sport making its debut as an optional sport is flag football, a limited-contact version of American football. The other will be squash, which will be played in
Megan Jayne Somerville: Adelaide mum accused of repeatedly stabbing her kids in late-night attack on the North-South Motorway allegedly fuelled by drugs
Read More

Megan Jayne Somerville: Adelaide mum accused of repeatedly stabbing her kids in late-night attack on the North-South Motorway allegedly fuelled by drugs

A mother accused of stabbing her two young children was allegedly high on a cocktail of meth, cannabis and prescription medication at the time, a court has heard. Megan Jayne Somerville, 37. appeared in Adelaide's Supreme Court via videolink on Monday from a closed mental health facility. Somerville has been detained at the facility since