Plaintiffs accuse New York pizzeria of wage theft

A lawsuit has been filed against a New York-based pizzeria, alleging serious violations of labor laws. On February 24, 2026, Salatiel R. Garcia and Jose A. Mizhquirilema filed a complaint in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York against Patsy’s Pizzeria Rockland LLC and its principal, Alend Fejza.

The plaintiffs, represented by Stillman Legal, P.C., claim that their former employer failed to pay them appropriate wages as mandated by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and New York Labor Law (NYLL). Garcia and Mizhquirilema were employed as chefs at Patsy’s Pizzeria in Nanuet, NY. They allege that they worked significantly more than 40 hours per week without receiving the legally required overtime pay. Garcia reportedly worked around 72 hours weekly from April 2021 to February 2026 for a flat rate of $1,200 per week. Meanwhile, Mizhquirilema claims he worked approximately 69 hours weekly from September 2016 until February 2026 at an hourly rate of $21 in recent years. Both allege they were paid in cash for overtime hours at straight time rather than the mandatory one-and-a-half times their regular rate.

The complaint accuses Patsy’s Pizzeria Rockland LLC and Alend Fejza of willfully violating labor laws by not providing wage notices or accurate wage statements as required under NYLL §195(1) and (3). This alleged failure obstructed the plaintiffs’ ability to accurately calculate owed wages, causing financial loss and distress. The plaintiffs argue that these practices extended beyond them to other employees who were similarly denied rightful compensation.

Garcia and Mizhquirilema are seeking compensatory damages for unpaid wages, liquidated damages equal to unpaid overtime wages under both federal and state law, statutory damages for notice violations under NYLL §198(1-b) and §198(1-d), pre-judgment interest at a rate of nine percent per annum, post-judgment interest, attorneys’ fees, and costs. They also seek class-action status on behalf of other affected employees under FLSA provisions.

The case is being handled by Lina Stillman of Stillman Legal, P.C., representing the plaintiffs. The defendants have yet to respond to these allegations formally. The presiding judge is not mentioned in the filing documentation provided with Case ID: 7:26-cv-01564-NSR.