Comments on: The Saga of Las Colinas Prime: Unpaid Workers And Bills, TABC Raids And Harassment, Ctd.

By: Scott Adams

Scott Adams — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 17:14:05 +0000

Well, its all over now. Michael Costa and Bryan Lusis have succesfully driven ANOTHER restaurant into the ground, and made off with who knows how much money in their pockets.When will Michael and Bryan learn that you can’t screw people over like this and continue to get away with it….it’s called CARMA, and it WILL come back to haunt you…it always does. They are grown men and shouldnt be behaving this way.

By: John Doe

John Doe — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 23:48:53 +0000

They really need to look in to the way he is financing his places. I have seen two transactions that show money being borrowed and colaterlized with a piece of land and alegedly be spent on a seperate entity all together. Then the land being taken back by the bank for not completing the project. Yet the money was still paid out. Makes you think.

By: Republic Taxes

Republic Taxes — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 09:30:56 +0000

How is Bill Mcrorey still able to own and run a business, even after owing more than $ Half A MIllion Dollars in taxes at his Uptown Republic.

By: gp

gp — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 20:58:21 +0000

Brian was arrested for a warrant that had been issued for little parking ticket the night they stormed in and mr. casta was there that night he jumped the patio when they stormed in and cuz he jumped and ran it pissed off tabc for watever reason so they took the next guy in the line of attority for watever the could and it happened to be a unpaid parking ticket poor little bastard
Brian Luisi my be a very nice man but he is just a little lap dog if you ask me, the torch guy the one to take the heat

By: frankie

frankie — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:58:12 +0000

Gardizi has been bounced from more places than any Chef I know…………

By: a waitress

a waitress — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 23:35:52 +0000

I complained to Mr. Costa and Brian that I worked two weeks there at Nellies without a paycheck being a cocktail waitress and they said they would pay me as soon as they could. I was told to just wait for awhile. He said I did a great job there but when they closed Brian and Mr. Costa would not even look at me or talk to me. This was in my opinion was being very unfair.

By: DGirl

DGirl — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 22:15:22 +0000

Those guys need a karmic @sswhipping. I hope the employees and vendors get paid.

By: Ted H

Ted H — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:37:47 +0000

NN: Here’s a reprint of my comment on these two when your story first came out, I think my comment still holds true today:

The infamous Michael Costa and Brian Luisi are quite well known lowlifes to anyone even remotely connected to the food & bev business in the D/FW area for any length of time. Even the mere mention of their names produces a throat clenching reflex for the many folks they’ve left in their wake.

Here’s their usual vulture-like M.O. — they are famous for contacting restaurants that are already on “life support” and giving the ownership their whole tired song and dance spiel of a “rescue” by putting everything under their control. Then they bilk and raid anything they can that’s not nailed down until they’ve sucked the place dry. Then they move on to the next carcass. Real simple folks.

Why these two have not been tarred and feathered while being chased out of town with lit roman candles stuck up their respective arses is beyond me. However, the visual alone of Costa “jumping a rail to escape the police” proves that there is at least some poetic justice left in this world.

BTW: They’ve never “turned a restaurant around” Nancy — not once. Check it out if you want. They just burn a whole lotta good employees with bad checks and empty promises – not to mention all the lies they said to weak owners who ultimately got completely screwed by these two. Anybody remember Costa and Brians rape of Nellies to name one out of many examples??

Reread the Stuertz expose’ that some sharp Disher mentioned earlier. It says just about everything there is to say about these two losers.

By: tony gardizi

tony gardizi — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:37:10 +0000

hello this person has done this befor for lots of years .where he has not paid anyone costa was the same person running veino and basso in dallas and he killed that everyone needs to know that its people like him that kill the rest: buss: and STOP GIVING HIM MONEY TO RUNN RESTAURANTS

By: mundo

mundo — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:07:45 +0000

@b: you do speak for a lot of people

By: b

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:44:17 +0000

As far as I’m concerned and I think I speak for alot of people out there, they should kept Michael in jail and threw the key away.

By: Gastronome

Gastronome — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:42:38 +0000

Thanks WG: Note to TABC: when looking for Costa always stake out the parking lot first.

By: Worzel Gummidge

Worzel Gummidge — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:19:42 +0000

Michale Costa’s earlier adventures:

http://www.dallasobserver.com/2004-06-24/restaurants/the-basso-bounce/

By: DarnellErwinFletcher

DarnellErwinFletcher — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:27:22 +0000

Also, they don’t even have to cite you. They can just haul you off to jail and charge you with “TABC Violation” then wait up to two years to even tell you why you were arrested.

By: DarnellErwinFletcher

DarnellErwinFletcher — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:26:10 +0000

TABC and some of the rules they enforce are absurd. Not asking someone for their Unicard carries the same penalties as carrying two ounces of weed or DWI.

By: Gastronome

Gastronome — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:56:42 +0000

I’m no fan of any government agency that bullies people, but in the end it sounds like the TABC did the general public a favor in this case. Here’s hoping that every employee of the place gets paid in full – thanks Nancy for staying on top of this disgusting story and continuing with your follow through. No doubt, if the little guys do get paid you will be due some thanks for your efforts on their behalf.