MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seattle man claims mob membership, threatens to ‘whack’ staff over unpaid restaurant bill

Feb 19, 2014, 4:23 PM | Updated: 4:30 pm

A guy who tried to skip out on an expensive dinner has landed in jail after attacking wait staff and claiming to be in both the “Sicilian Mafia” and the CIA.

It happened Saturday night at the World Sport Grille in Seattle’s South Lake Union neighborhood. The 35-year-old Seattle man ran up a big bill for four “very expensive” Scotch whiskeys and a fish and chips plate, said Seattle police detective Renee Witt.

When the man tried to pay the $226.92 dinner bill, his credit card was repeatedly declined. He told restaurant staff he could leave his laptop and car keys as collateral, but the wait staff refused the man’s offer and told him he needed to pay.

That’s when things got ugly.

“He told staff members he was a member of the “Sicilian Mafia” and threatened to come back to the bar and “whack” everyone,” Witt said.

Then, he told employees he was also a member of the CIA.

The guy then tried to run out of the restaurant. When a staff member tried to block him, the suspect took a swing but didn’t connect. He managed to get out the door and down the street, but a handful of employees caught up with him and took him down.

Officers arrived to find the man lying “spread-eagle” on the ground, surrounded by restaurant employees.

As officers arrested him, he threatened the employees saying he would be back and “this isn’t over.”

Police booked the suspect into the King County Jail for theft, assault, and harassment.

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Seattle man claims mob membership, threatens to ‘whack’ staff over unpaid restaurant bill