North End restaurant owner could lose liquor license, warrant issued for owner

BOSTON — A popular North End restaurant could lose its liquor license because its owner is accused of a shooting at a popular pastry shop last week.

After issuing an arrest warrant for Monica’s Trattoria’s co-owner Patrick Mendoza last week, the Boston Licensing Board is giving the restaurant until the end of Friday to submit written proof that its new proposed Manager of Record is qualified for the job.

At a virtual hearing Friday, an attorney who has represented the Mendoza family for over two decades asked that Monica’s remain open as it begins the process of transferring the Manager of Record to the current operation manager.

Surveillance video allegedly captured Mendoza opening fire outside Modern Pasty while riding a bicycle on July 12. Police say the co-owner of Monica was aiming at a man who lived above the shop, a neighbor the suspect had allegedly feuded with for years.

Kathleen Joyce, the chair of Boston’s Licensing Board, says she’s concerned that the fugitive restaurant owner is in some way still controlling the business and is weighing whether to allow the eatery to remain open and keep its liquor license.

“It’s concerning that this person who’s not available who’s evading the law ultimately is in some way controlling the restaurant,” Joyce said. “It’s unprecedented when called upon, a Manager of Record is unavailable for a week. He’s evading the law, he’s not cooperating with police, he’s unavailable to the board and he’s putting at risk the operations of his business.”

Mendoza family attorney William Ferullo is asking the board to allow the restaurant’s assistant manager to take the reins and that Mendoza’s wife and two brothers will help run the business.

“The business has operated the past week without any incidents or problems,” said Ferullo.

The Mendoza family attorney says he thinks it would be unfair to penalize the 25 people who work there because of the accusations against Mendoza.

The chair of Boston’s Licensing Board says Mendoza’s absence at Thursday’s meeting is grounds for revoking, suspending or modifying his liquor license.

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