Latest news with #Jacinta
Sydney Morning Herald
22-06-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
Harassing staff, haranguing customers: fresh complaints against top chef
'I was young at the time but it just felt all wrong,' she said. Jacinta said that Barbagallo routinely partied with staff and openly consumed cocaine. On one occasion, Jacinta alleges he insisted she come back to his house after a nightclub where he offered her cocaine, which she declined, while she waited for friend to pick her up. She claimed Barbagallo then made a sexual advance which she rejected. 'I was like, 'Yeah, this is not happening.' I just pretty much walked out.' Loading Jacinta alleges Barbagallo then treated her differently at work. 'That's when things got really bad,' she said, citing one example where he chastised her over a flower arrangement. 'He completely lost his shit. He threw something at me. I had customers follow me outside the restaurant who were like, 'Are you okay?'' Jacinta said she was paid a settlement after lodging an unfair dismissal claim at the Fair Work Commission. She said she had acquired formal qualifications and had previously wanted to build a hospitality career, but the experience had turned her off. 'It was disappointing for me because I really did enjoy the job,' she said. 'Any aspirations I had in the hospitality industry … that kind of just killed the buzz for that.' The second woman worked at Barbagallo's venue in Lonsdale Street in Melbourne's CBD. She said there were often cocaine bags in his office as well as numerous parking fines because he would park his car illegally on the street in front of the restaurant. 'The police came because he would park his Mercedes right out the front of Lonsdale Street,' she said. 'For months prior to that, he had just been racking up daily parking fines.' She described Barbagallo as a 'workplace predator' due to his outbursts, sexually inappropriate behaviour and other conduct, and alleged he gave his staff cocaine during shifts, sometimes as early as 11am. She alleged that he propositioned her one night when she was intoxicated. 'I'm so used to men behaving like that,' she said. 'In hospitality land back then, you almost forget about it.' She also alleges frequent aggressive behaviour from Barbagallo. On one occasion, she claimed he threw a bottle of red wine at customers who complained about a burnt pizza. 'I thought a bomb went off,' she said. 'The red wine went everywhere, all over the 12 people that were sitting there. Children were there.' She said she had told him his behaviour was unacceptable and claims she was then fired. She describes Barbagallo as the 'most delusional' person she's ever worked with. 'There's no need to be outraged to that level, there's no need to harass young workers,' she said. 'In his mind, he thinks he's a misunderstood genius. Pietro needs to not own a business any more.' 'Completely humiliating' This masthead's investigation revealed footage of Barbagallo screaming profanities at his own customers, and pulling the tablecloth causing plates and glasses to smash. The clip has been shared around the world, including by Fox News Primetime hosts, who were shocked by Barbagallo's behaviour. 'Oh my gosh. And that's a business owner whose trying to keep their business? He's a famous chef. I don't know how he made it that far,' said one host. Since last week, other customers have come forward with allegations of recent abusive behaviour by Barbagallo. One woman, who said she could not be identified for professional reasons, said she was celebrating a work milestone in March with her elderly parents and made a booking at Kaprica – a restaurant she liked and had frequented for years. She called in advance to request a quiet table because her mother is hard of hearing, but then they were seated in a busy spot so requested to move. The woman said Barbagallo came to their table and screamed at them. 'I was quite frozen,' she said. 'I tried to de-escalate it… And I kind of explained, 'Oh, look, I've been coming to the restaurant for years and years and years now, I'm not a difficult customer at all, like I'm actually a really big fan of this restaurant, and I don't understand why you're abusing my mum.' 'He just kept talking over me the whole time and berating me, telling me that no one can tell him how he runs his restaurant and it's his place of business.' She said Barbagallo went on a 'weird rant' about them being 'American' when she was not. The altercation lasted for at least 10 minutes, she said, and silenced the busy restaurant. The family left without eating and were so distressed, they went home. The next day, the woman said she caught up with her mother and they both cried. 'Everyone was very shaken following the incident, and I still feel very angry about it ... mostly angry on behalf of my mum because I don't think that she deserved to be humiliated and abused like that.' The woman sent a message to her friend detailing the incident. 'It was actually f---ed,' she said. 'It was really horrible, the whole restaurant was watching. And he just kept going and going.' Michelle Atkinson said Barbagallo had abused her over the phone when she followed up a complaint about suspected food poisoning suffered after a meal at his restaurant. Loading They had two phone calls, one in which she said he was cordial, and the second in which she claimed he was abusive. 'He absolutely hopped into me and said, 'How rude of you to call back. How dare you assume that my food made anyone else sick?' He was so aggressive in that short space of time that I hung up and blocked him because I suspected he would call back and continue to abuse me. I was really shaky.'
The Age
22-06-2025
- The Age
Harassing staff, haranguing customers: fresh complaints against top chef
'I was young at the time but it just felt all wrong,' she said. Jacinta said that Barbagallo routinely partied with staff and openly consumed cocaine. On one occasion, Jacinta alleges he insisted she come back to his house after a nightclub where he offered her cocaine, which she declined, while she waited for friend to pick her up. She claimed Barbagallo then made a sexual advance which she rejected. 'I was like, 'Yeah, this is not happening.' I just pretty much walked out.' Loading Jacinta alleges Barbagallo then treated her differently at work. 'That's when things got really bad,' she said, citing one example where he chastised her over a flower arrangement. 'He completely lost his shit. He threw something at me. I had customers follow me outside the restaurant who were like, 'Are you okay?'' Jacinta said she was paid a settlement after lodging an unfair dismissal claim at the Fair Work Commission. She said she had acquired formal qualifications and had previously wanted to build a hospitality career, but the experience had turned her off. 'It was disappointing for me because I really did enjoy the job,' she said. 'Any aspirations I had in the hospitality industry … that kind of just killed the buzz for that.' The second woman worked at Barbagallo's venue in Lonsdale Street in Melbourne's CBD. She said there were often cocaine bags in his office as well as numerous parking fines because he would park his car illegally on the street in front of the restaurant. 'The police came because he would park his Mercedes right out the front of Lonsdale Street,' she said. 'For months prior to that, he had just been racking up daily parking fines.' She described Barbagallo as a 'workplace predator' due to his outbursts, sexually inappropriate behaviour and other conduct, and alleged he gave his staff cocaine during shifts, sometimes as early as 11am. She alleged that he propositioned her one night when she was intoxicated. 'I'm so used to men behaving like that,' she said. 'In hospitality land back then, you almost forget about it.' She also alleges frequent aggressive behaviour from Barbagallo. On one occasion, she claimed he threw a bottle of red wine at customers who complained about a burnt pizza. 'I thought a bomb went off,' she said. 'The red wine went everywhere, all over the 12 people that were sitting there. Children were there.' She said she had told him his behaviour was unacceptable and claims she was then fired. She describes Barbagallo as the 'most delusional' person she's ever worked with. 'There's no need to be outraged to that level, there's no need to harass young workers,' she said. 'In his mind, he thinks he's a misunderstood genius. Pietro needs to not own a business any more.' 'Completely humiliating' This masthead's investigation revealed footage of Barbagallo screaming profanities at his own customers, and pulling the tablecloth causing plates and glasses to smash. The clip has been shared around the world, including by Fox News Primetime hosts, who were shocked by Barbagallo's behaviour. 'Oh my gosh. And that's a business owner whose trying to keep their business? He's a famous chef. I don't know how he made it that far,' said one host. Since last week, other customers have come forward with allegations of recent abusive behaviour by Barbagallo. One woman, who said she could not be identified for professional reasons, said she was celebrating a work milestone in March with her elderly parents and made a booking at Kaprica – a restaurant she liked and had frequented for years. She called in advance to request a quiet table because her mother is hard of hearing, but then they were seated in a busy spot so requested to move. The woman said Barbagallo came to their table and screamed at them. 'I was quite frozen,' she said. 'I tried to de-escalate it… And I kind of explained, 'Oh, look, I've been coming to the restaurant for years and years and years now, I'm not a difficult customer at all, like I'm actually a really big fan of this restaurant, and I don't understand why you're abusing my mum.' 'He just kept talking over me the whole time and berating me, telling me that no one can tell him how he runs his restaurant and it's his place of business.' She said Barbagallo went on a 'weird rant' about them being 'American' when she was not. The altercation lasted for at least 10 minutes, she said, and silenced the busy restaurant. The family left without eating and were so distressed, they went home. The next day, the woman said she caught up with her mother and they both cried. 'Everyone was very shaken following the incident, and I still feel very angry about it ... mostly angry on behalf of my mum because I don't think that she deserved to be humiliated and abused like that.' The woman sent a message to her friend detailing the incident. 'It was actually f---ed,' she said. 'It was really horrible, the whole restaurant was watching. And he just kept going and going.' Michelle Atkinson said Barbagallo had abused her over the phone when she followed up a complaint about suspected food poisoning suffered after a meal at his restaurant. Loading They had two phone calls, one in which she said he was cordial, and the second in which she claimed he was abusive. 'He absolutely hopped into me and said, 'How rude of you to call back. How dare you assume that my food made anyone else sick?' He was so aggressive in that short space of time that I hung up and blocked him because I suspected he would call back and continue to abuse me. I was really shaky.'
Irish Independent
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Wexford musical societies hit all the right notes at AIMS national awards
The Association of Irish Musical Societies (AIMS) 'provides a voice to musical theatre in Ireland" and holds an annual awards night to honour the efforts of societies across six regions. Amongst the winners last weekend was the Wexford Light Opera Society, Enniscorthy Musical Society, the North Wexford Musical Theatre, Oyster Lane Theatre Group, and the Carnew Musical Society. The Enniscorthy Musical Society were ecstatic to come home with the award for Best Visual for their performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and were recognised for a Special Adjudicators Award. PRO for the society Emily Boyne said they were grateful to be nominated overall for three awards; Best Visual (Costumes, Props, Hair and Makeup), Best Male Singer for Richard O'Toole as Joseph and the Adjudicator's Special Award for their cast of eleven brothers. "It was a fantastic experience. Even to be nominated is such incredible recognition for all the hard work that went in to 'Joseph.' The show was a huge success, with standing ovations every night, and even more than one on a few occasions and we were so delighted to see it's success recognised nationally with the nominations,' she said. She explained that 26 members attended the event, which they see as a great occasion to celebrate talent from across Ireland while meeting their fellow musical peers. "I think the cheers when Enniscorthy Musical Society was announced as the winner of the Best Visual Award could be heard all the way in Enniscorthy. The Visuals of a show can make it or break it and we are so thrilled to have been recognised in such an important category. ' "Richard and the eleven brothers were runners up in their categories, both of which were tough categories with incredible talent on stage alongside them. We're so proud of them for all their hard work, and know their futures are so bright, it definitely won't be their last time on that stage as nominees,' she added. The Carnew Musical Society were over the moon to see member Jacinta Kavanagh receive the Unsung Hero Award. Chair of the society, Lorna Doran McEvoy, described Jacinta as the true cornerstone of their society and a champion of amateur musical theatre. "Jacinta joined Carnew Musical Society in 1990 for our production of 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers' and while she may not have had an onstage wedding that year, she has enjoyed a happy 35 year marriage to Carnew Musical Society ever since!' she said. With many roles in the society, she has served as the treasurer, leader of fundraising activities, and pro costume designer while off the stage. "Jacinta is a costume powerhouse having led our costume team with passion and dedication since 1996, always working long hours behind the scenes to ensure each and every character and chorus member is costumed in accordance with the production team's vision and that the fit and detail for every costume is the best it can be. It is not unusual to find Jacinta taking home costumes during show week to wash them and to organise any necessary repairs - while simultaneously preparing floats for front of house. Jacinta always juggles her duties with grace and humour.' "In every action, Jacinta champions the values at the core of AIMS - passion for performance, selfless service, community spirit, and unwavering support for others. She lifts others up, leads by example, and inspires through her quiet, consistent excellence,' she added. The Oyster Lane Theatre Group took home the Best Stage Management (Colin Murphy) award and was recognised as third place in Best Overall Show for A Christmas Carol (Gilbert Section). PRO Freya Murphy said the wins held particular significance as they reached a milestone anniversary in the club. "These achievements are a true testament to the exceptional talent, commitment, and heart shown by everyone involved in this unforgettable production. From our dedicated cast and crew to the countless volunteers working behind the scenes, your passion and professionalism brought this Irish premiere to life in spectacular fashion.' "This recognition is made even more meaningful as it coincides with our 30th anniversary year. To have our milestone production celebrated on a national stage is something we will cherish forever.' She highlighted that their success would not have been possible without the support they have received from the community and loved ones. "Thank you to every single person who had any involvement in getting 'A Christmas Carol' to the stage, committee, cast, chorus, crew, production team, sponsors, audience members, without all of you the show would not go on. You were all part of making it possible to place third Best Overall Show in Ireland and are so very proud,' they said. The North Wexford Musical Theatre were equally chuffed to win Best Ensemble for the 'Left Behind' scene in Spring Awakening (Gilbert Section). The group had a wonderful time at the festivities, where they mingled and celebrated the wide array of talent in the musical scene of Ireland. "We're so proud to stand alongside so many talented societies, massive congratulations to all winners, nominees, and every single person who brought a show to life this season. What a community to be a part of!' Rounding out Wexford's stellar weekend, The Wexford Light Opera Society took home Best Technical and Best Musical Director (David Hayes) for Young Frankenstein (Gilbert Section). "Huge thanks to everyone who supports us. Nights like these mean the world to us!' they said. Mayor Catherine Walsh, who is also a member of the Association of Irish Musical Societies National Council, extended her congratulations to all the groups in 'proving Wexford leads the way as always in the Arts.'
Irish Times
12-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Sky Television ‘seems happy to take advantage' of my trusting, elderly aunt
The idea that a television service provider would be taking well over €100 a month off people who can perhaps ill afford it without being able to adequately explain what is going on is pretty awful. But it enters the realm of appalling if those people are older, and might be struggling to get on top of their day-to-day finances. We have two stories connected to Sky Television that are strikingly similar, and involve family members seeking help for older people. 'I am writing on behalf of my elderly father-in-law,' begins a mail from a reader called Jacinta. READ MORE On October 30th last year, he had contacted Sky, as he was concerned about being charged a monthly fee of €120, she explains. 'He verbally agreed to a new monthly contract of €84.50 for six months and was told he should contact the company when that timeframe had elapsed to agree the next charges.' She says that on February 19th the charge was €85.14, and on March 18th the charge was €87.50. She says there was 'no notification of an increase'. [ Sky broadband blues: 'During the day, it stayed working. After 8pm, zilch' Opens in new window ] Then on April 16th 'the new charges were €105.80. This was within the six months period and there was absolutely no notification. On May 16th charges were €121 – an almost 50 per cent increase inside a few weeks with absolutely no notification." 'My father-in-law is in his 70s, and suffers chronic health, and talking at times on the phone can greatly exacerbate his breathing [problems]. It's not possible to email Sky, though you can call and be left usually up to 45 mins before you get to talk with someone and all that, apart from their charges. Sky can charge whatever they wish whenever they wish. Neither Comreg nor CCPC want to know as it's not their area.' Then there is the story about a woman in her 80s who appears to be paying an awful lot for very little. The story was shared with us by her nephew. 'I've an aunt in her late 80s who spent her life giving of herself to others,' begins the mail. 'She doesn't ask for much and uses TV to watch the news in her kitchen, and one other channel that's free on the internet. For quite some time she couldn't get Sky to work on the TV in the kitchen. I assumed it was because the TV was old, so I bought her a new one. The problem persists.' Our reader asked her aunt how much she pays, and whether she had the account details. 'The only information she could find was on her bank account, and she became upset as she realised how much they were taking from her account every month (average €150-plus). 'I work abroad, so rarely get the opportunity to resolve problems for her, but the week before last, after a lot of searching, managed to get through to Sky by phone. They went through security with my aunt and, after a few minutes, the call disconnected.' He says that he tried four times 'going through the same process, getting various levels of sympathy and assurances, but each time the calls eventually disconnected. This weekend I checked with my aunt. She'd received no mail or follow up of any sort,' he writes. 'My aunt's a trusting and generous person, and it seems as if Sky are happy to take advantage, deliberately make it incredibly difficult to contact them, and apparently impossible to get support.' It seems to Pricewatch that both of these people are is paying way over the odds for their television service but it also seems like they have both struggled to find out exactly what they are paying for. We contacted Sky. In connection with our first story a spokeswoman said Sky is 'committed to supporting all of its customers. In our efforts to provide fast and efficient customer support, our billing teams have maintained an average call response time of just 58 seconds year-to-date.' 'The customer in question regularly availed of promotional offers as a long-time customer with Sky. However, now that we are aware of the customer's health condition, we believe he would benefit from Sky's dedicated accessibility service, which provides tailored care and alternative contact methods to support customers who may need additional assistance. We have since outreached to the customer to support with this.' And when it came to the second story she said the company was 'sorry to hear about this customer's experience, which was unfortunately due to an initial miscommunication while resolving a technical issue. We have since spoken with the customer to apply the due credit on their account and ensure they are set up correctly.'
Irish Times
11-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Sky high prices leave readers baffled on behalf of older relatives
The idea that a television service provider would be taking well over €100 a month off people who can perhaps ill afford it without being able to adequately explain what is going on is pretty awful. But it enters the realm of appalling if those people are older, and might be struggling to get on top of their day-to-day finances. We have two stories connected to Sky Television that are strikingly similar, and involve family members seeking help for older people. 'I am writing on behalf of my elderly father-in-law,' begins a mail from a reader called Jacinta. READ MORE On October 30th last year, he had contacted Sky, as he was concerned about being charged a monthly fee of €120, she explains. 'He verbally agreed to a new monthly contract of €84.50 for six months and was told he should contact the company when that timeframe had elapsed to agree the next charges.' She says that on February 19th the charge was €85.14, and on March 18th the charge was €87.50. She says there was 'no notification of an increase'. [ Sky broadband blues: 'During the day, it stayed working. After 8pm, zilch' Opens in new window ] Then on April 16th 'the new charges were €105.80. This was within the six months period and there was absolutely no notification. On May 16th charges were €121 – an almost 50 per cent increase inside a few weeks with absolutely no notification." 'My father-in-law is in his 70s, and suffers chronic health, and talking at times on the phone can greatly exacerbate his breathing [problems]. It's not possible to email Sky, though you can call and be left usually up to 45 mins before you get to talk with someone and all that, apart from their charges. Sky can charge whatever they wish whenever they wish. Neither Comreg nor CCPC want to know as it's not their area.' Then there is the story about a woman in her 80s who appears to be paying an awful lot for very little. The story was shared with us by her nephew. 'I've an aunt in her late 80s who spent her life giving of herself to others,' begins the mail. 'She doesn't ask for much and uses TV to watch the news in her kitchen, and one other channel that's free on the internet. For quite some time she couldn't get Sky to work on the TV in the kitchen. I assumed it was because the TV was old, so I bought her a new one. The problem persists.' Our reader asked her aunt how much she pays, and whether she had the account details. 'The only information she could find was on her bank account, and she became upset as she realised how much they were taking from her account every month (average €150-plus). 'I work abroad, so rarely get the opportunity to resolve problems for her, but the week before last, after a lot of searching, managed to get through to Sky by phone. They went through security with my aunt and, after a few minutes, the call disconnected.' He says that he tried four times 'going through the same process, getting various levels of sympathy and assurances, but each time the calls eventually disconnected. This weekend I checked with my aunt. She'd received no mail or follow up of any sort,' he writes. 'My aunt's a trusting and generous person, and it seems as if Sky are happy to take advantage, deliberately make it incredibly difficult to contact them, and apparently impossible to get support.' It seems to Pricewatch that both of these people are is paying way over the odds for their television service but it also seems like they have both struggled to find out exactly what they are paying for. We contacted Sky. In connection with our first story a spokeswoman said Sky is 'committed to supporting all of its customers. In our efforts to provide fast and efficient customer support, our billing teams have maintained an average call response time of just 58 seconds year-to-date.' 'The customer in question regularly availed of promotional offers as a long-time customer with Sky. However, now that we are aware of the customer's health condition, we believe he would benefit from Sky's dedicated accessibility service, which provides tailored care and alternative contact methods to support customers who may need additional assistance. We have since outreached to the customer to support with this.' And when it came to the second story she said the company was 'sorry to hear about this customer's experience, which was unfortunately due to an initial miscommunication while resolving a technical issue. We have since spoken with the customer to apply the due credit on their account and ensure they are set up correctly.'
