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NARRATOR: Tonight on "Mystery Diners"...
Nico Santucci, owner of Capo's Italian Steakhouse
in Las Vegas, Nevada,
believes his brother and manager, Dominick,
is acting inappropriately.
NICO: Sometimes he gets a little caught up
with the female staff or patrons.
NARRATOR: Is Dominick the real problem,
or is something much worse than flirting going on?
I mean, that's ridiculous.
NARRATOR: The Mystery Diners will have to go undercover
in order to show Nico what's going on.
He's not walking out with that.
Owning a restaurant isn't easy.
You can have great food, atmosphere, and customers,
but reckless employees...
You're not welcome here anymore.
...can ruin everything.
That's where the Mystery Diners come in.
Charles Stiles has helped thousands of restaurants
find their problems and remove them.
With the help of his undercover operatives...
I'm Chris. I'm the new supply guy.
...he shows restaurant owners
what really happens when they're not around.
MAN: You were stealing from me.
I don't know.
This is my home! This is my business!
That food is my life!
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
NICO: Hello, I'm Nico Santucci, and I'm the owner and operator
of Capo's Restaurant in Las Vegas.
Capo's was designed to look and feel like a mobster hangout.
It's the whole speakeasy --
something that kind of we grew up with in Chicago.
Well, I think it's proven itself.
A lot of the menu at Capo's is central-southern Italian.
These are recipes I ate as a kid --
chicken parm, veal Marsala, chicken Marsala,
of course, the Godfather's filet.
You can't go into Capo's without having the meatballs.
The interesting thing about our sauce --
when I was curating the Mob Museum in Las Vegas,
I ended up engaging the Capone family
and doing a licensing deal on recipes that they had.
They are as authentic as humanly possible --
as close to the bone as I could get it.
My biggest concern is my brother and manager, Dominick.
You know, I keep hearing complaints
that he might be getting a little too friendly
with the females in the restaurant.
Dominick's role at Capo's
calls for him to be hands-on with everyone,
but I can't have a ***-harassment suit.
If Dominick ends up being a problem,
I've always got Larry. He's now a waiter.
But he could be probably a great manager.
I mean, at the end of the day, Dominick's my brother.
And without being confrontational,
I really need "Mystery Diners" to show me
if my brother's the right man for the job
or a liability I can't afford.
[ Bell tolls ]
Charles.
Hey, Nico.
Great.
Yeah.
NICO: Oh, thanks.
And thanks for meeting me at the house.
You know, the restaurant is too close for comfort for me.
If you and I were to roll up there today
and I'm meeting with a guy that looks like you,
they're gonna think something's up.
Sure.
Well, Nico, I appreciate you calling us.
I mean, if you want to maybe kind of explain to me
some of the problems -- why you called us in.
Sure.
You know, it's more about this internal problem.
I keep hearing complaints about my brother,
and he's also my manager.
There have been some issues with some of the staff
indicating that he's been a little hands-on
with some of the female staffers or patrons.
I don't want to have anything
that's gonna reflect on me legally.
So I'll be curious to see if it's more extreme
than I believe, or if, in fact, it's appropriate.
There's a fine line between being too friendly
and *** harassment.
Something like that can ruin your business.
We'll see how far he goes with the lines,
and maybe he's right there on the line, and he's appropriate.
If he's pushing the envelope -- I don't mind him pushing it,
I just can't have him breaking it open.
Right.
Okay, well, aside from your brother,
are there any other employees you want to keep an eye on?
Larry, one of my waiters, is actually someone
I think I might be able to move into a management position,
if, in fact, Dominick's an issue.
Probably got the highest check total in the restaurant,
and he's got a lot of great clients.
Well, we don't just look for employees
who are behaving badly.
We also like to keep an eye out
for the employees who are exceeding at their jobs.
NARRATOR: For this sting, "Mystery Diners"
will be focusing on Dominick, a manager who may be flirting
inappropriately with female staff and customers,
as well as Larry,
a long-time waiter up for a promotion.
As much as I don't want to find something,
I do feel like it needs to come to a head.
And if we've got to get rid of somebody
as a result of it, so be it.
To carry out the sting, cameras have been hidden
at key locations throughout Capo's.
Cameras 1, 2, and 3 have been set up
in the dining room to give an overall perspective
of the restaurant and its customers.
Cameras 4 and 5 have been set up in the kitchen.
Camera 6 has been set up in the supply room,
and Camera 7 has been set up in the manager's office.
Mystery Diners Andy and Jennifer
will be going undercover as a husband and wife.
Wow.
Amazing.
What do you think about seeing your restaurant like this?
It really gives me a cohesive look
at what's going on in the restaurant.
Whatever's taking place in your restaurant,
Good.
Make sure to leave this system here.
Would you? I love this. It's amazing.
So now your brother -- he's managing.
He is.
How long has he been with you?
He's been with me close to 10 years now.
[ Laughs ]
That's what I'm concerned about right there, unfortunately.
That's a ***-harassment lawsuit just waiting to happen.
They may be playing into it, but you know what?.
No.
NICO: No, I think he does a great job
of bringing up the personality of the room.
He certainly play-acts that part very well.
If anything, maybe he takes some liberties,
and that's my concern.
[ Buzzer ]
This will be interesting.
It's his job to make this feel like a speakeasy from the '30s.
He seems to be doing a pretty good job.
Really?
That's not appropriate.
I mean, what the hell is he doing?
That is totally inappropriate.
He's actually frisking them!
ANDY: That's my wife, Jennifer.
JENNIFER: Oh, my.
What the hell is he doing?
Now he's taking your alcohol out of the back of the storage?
No, this is not good.
I mean, this isn't like he's walking out
with six rolls of toilet paper.
This is a $500 take in that bag at this point.
NARRATOR: Nico Santucci, owner of Capo's Italian Steakhouse
in Las Vegas, Nevada,
is concerned about his brother, Dominick...
NICO: He's been a little hands-on
with some of the female staffers or patrons.
NARRATOR: ...and waiter Larry.
He's actually someone I think I might be able to move
into a management position,
if, in fact, Dominick's an issue.
Charles has set up a control room next to Capo's,
where Nico can watch what happens
in his restaurant with our hidden cameras.
I mean, it really gives me a cohesive look
at what's going on in the restaurant.
Mystery Diners Andy and Jennifer
will be going undercover as a husband and wife.
And after starting the sting,
Dominick displays his hands-on approach
to greeting customers.
I mean, what the hell is he doing?
That is totally inappropriate.
He's actually frisking them!
That's a lawsuit right there.
It was pretty handsy,
and that's definitely stepping over the line.
I mean, they're coming into a restaurant.
I don't think they expect to get manhandled
in the first 30 seconds.
Great.
We just saw how Dominick interacted
with a couple single girls.
Now we'll see how he acts
when a woman comes in with a man.
That's huge for me.
All right, Andy, why don't you guys go ahead and come on in.
Nico is worried that his brother, Dominick,
may be acting inappropriately with his customers.
So for this sting,
Jennifer and I will be posing as a husband and wife.
This is Andy right here coming in?
Yeah, this is Andy coming in right here.
[ Buzzer ]
So we'll see how Dominick greets him when he comes in the door.
ANDY: Oh, hey, there he is.
I'm hoping to get some lunch.
This is my wife, Jennifer.
JENNIFER: Oh, my.
All right. Okay.
That's why I married her, you know?
What the hell is he doing?
She's with her man, and...
There's a line you don't cross.
ANDY: Will the pretty wife actually get us in the door?
JENNIFER: Oh, thank you.
Yeah, well, thank you.
I mean, see, this is exactly what I was telling you guys.
I mean, he goes a little overboard with it.
Well, yeah, absolutely.
And that's the beginning of their experience!
Oh, my goodness.
Uh, yeah, go right ahead.
Look, he's holding hands with her at this point.
Dominick is holding her hand.
Is that typical in a speakeasy?
That is his job -- to hold the girls' hands coming in?
No, no, absolutely not.
I mean, you know, that can lead to nothing but trouble.
Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you so much.
I know he's playing a role, but I don't know too many guys
who would see the humor in that behavior.
Do you hold every woman's hand
when you take them into the place?
Yeah?
All right. No problem.
NICO: It's pretty aggressive.
That's what I'm seeing. I know it's a speakeasy.
I mean, this is the kind of thing
that can result in a fist fight.
I mean, if I was that guy -- you're holding my girl's hand...
Seven years.
Yeah.
CHARLES: That's a personal question,
I mean, asking how long you've been married.
Oh, okay.
If he's over here flirting with, you know, Jennifer.
that could turn into a bad situation.
Okay.
NICO: He's gonna be upset about that,
and that's gonna ride all the way through dinner.
Well, fortunately, those are Mystery Diners,
so they won't have any hurt feelings.
So it looks like Larry's coming over to the table,
which is good, didn't take him too long.
Love it. Perfect.
Oh, we're great.
Andy, I want you to ask Larry about Dominick.
The, um, Dominick -- Was that his name?
Dominick, yeah.
He was kind of flirty with my wife?
He was handsy with her.
Thank you.
Thank you. That's very nice of you.
Thanks.
CHARLES: You know, usually it's the manager's job
to handle these issues, but since Dominick is the issue,
Larry's doing the right thing.
Absolutely.
Does that happen a lot here? Is that typical?
Wow.
Well, see now, despite Dominick's conduct,
I don't need Larry throwing Dominick under the bus.
No.
Let me ask you something -- why is he still here?
Why do you keep him around?
He shouldn't be airing this stuff with the customers.
That's just inappropriate in any sense.
You're right.
This is interesting. Let's keep watching Larry.
So, what's that right there? Where's he --
I mean, that's the executive office.
That is completely inappropriate.
In fact, that door's generally locked.
Well, obviously, Dominick's not paying attention
to the office right now.
I mean, he's got really no reason to be in there.
I'm not sure why he's in that room.
I don't know what he's looking for in there.
This is not good.
He just slipped out a $20 bill, stuck it in his pocket,
and put in a coupon.
My blood's boiling. I mean, this is money.
There are some things we saw you doing
that I clearly think is inappropriate.
Don't [bleep] bring me down like that.
I don't like it. I don't like it at all.
It's his restaurant.
Do you think I don't know that? He's my brother.
NARRATOR: With the help of hidden cameras and undercover Mystery Diners,
Nico Santucci, owner of Capo's Italian Steakhouse,
has learned that his brother and manager, Dominick,
is risking a ***-harassment lawsuit
by behaving inappropriately with female customers.
But even worse, his waiter Larry
is not the model employee Nico thought.
NICO: I'm not sure why he's in that room.
I don't know what he's looking for in there.
CHARLES: Larry just pulled something out of that book.
Those are vouchers.
They're given out to V.I.P.s.
How much are the coupons worth?
A minimum of $20. Right before my own two eyes.
I mean, this is a little shocking.
This is cash.
This is directly related to our drawer.
Well, let's see what he does with those coupons.
I guess it depends on how much Dominick hits on her.
Then we'll decide.
Thank you so much.
All right.
Okay.
Oh, my.
You know, the way he's giving away drinks and coupons,
I mean, it's like he's acting like he's the manager.
Okay. All right.
You know, it is the manager's job to make those decisions,
but Dominick kind of created this situation,
so I can understand why Larry did that.
I see that.
Dominick's completely aloof to everything.
I am curious how often Larry gives away coupons, though.
And here's a perfect opportunity,
because those customers are getting ready to pay their bill.
Looks like they're paying with cash.
You know, you always have to be kind of leery
what happens sometimes with cash.
The temptation is huge.
What's he doing right there?
I don't know why he's got his hands in his pockets here.
Is that a coupon?
Yeah, he just pulled it right out of his pocket.
You got to be kidding me.
He just slipped out a $20 bill, stuck it in his pocket,
and put in a coupon.
That's theft.
Look how much time
he's sitting there spending with those girls.
He's completely aloof to the whole situation.
Dominick's behavior is clearly inappropriate,
but I think Larry is the bigger problem.
This is much worse than I expected.
I'd like to go deal with it right now.
This is money coming out of my pocket.
We've got it all on camera.
We're here. He's working.
Let's just give him a little bit longer,
'cause you've already gone through a lot of expense
No, you're right.
You're absolutely right. Let's let it play out.
NARRATOR: After the lunch rush,
only a few customers remain at the bar
while the wait staff prepares for the dinner shift.
So where's he going?
I don't know what he's doing, either.
I mean, that's the supply room.
It looks like he's got some kind of a black bag.
What's the deal with that?
That's actually one of our dirty-laundry bags.
What the hell is he doing?
He just put two bottles of wine in the bag.
I mean, that's ridiculous.
He's giving away coupons,
This is not good.
What's he putting in the bag now?
That's pasta.
Looks like he's grabbing a couple bottles
of lemon juice, too. Really?
What are those boxes he's putting in his bag?
That's Capone Family Secret.
Those are prohibition crates
that are getting ready to get shipped out to customers.
My peppers, my sauces are all in those cases.
How much are those worth?
Each one of those crates is about $200.
This isn't like he's walking out
with, you know, six rolls of toilet paper.
This is a $500 take in that bag at this point.
I got to go handle this. I mean, I got to --
We've seen enough. I mean, he's obviously stealing.
I couldn't believe my eyes.
I mean, it looked like Santa Claus.
I mean, you've got Larry walking out the door.
Dominick had no idea.
This is something I spent thousands of hours developing.
You're not gonna walk out with cases of my sauce.
I got to go stop this. This is ridiculous, man.
He's not walking out with that.
Are you [bleep] kidding? Are you kidding me right now?
What is this? Give me this [bleep] bag.
I was just loading the laundry.
Are you kidding me?!
You're walking out there like Santa Claus
with $300, $400 worth of my [bleep]
You can't set people up like this. Come on, guys!
You're setting him up for a lawsuit for *** harassment.
I don't need some schmuck like you
to [bleep] tell me what my job is out there.
NARRATOR: After conducting an undercover sting operation
at Capo's Italian Steakhouse in Las Vegas, Nevada,
the Mystery Diners have revealed
that the owner's brother and manager, Dominick,
is risking a ***-harassment lawsuit.
But even worse, waiter Larry is stealing coupons,
pocketing the cash...
CHARLES: That's theft.
...and stealing supplies from right under Dominick's nose.
Nico. Let's just talk about this.
All right, Larry, you want to explain it?
Explain that.
CHARLES: Larry, let me tell you something --
my name's Charles Stiles.
I'm with a company called Mystery Diners.
And he called me 'cause he had some concerns with his restaurant.
Now, obviously, you can see that everything's wired up here,
and we've got everything on tape.
You can't set people up like this. Come on, guys!
Are you kidding me?!
You're walking out there like Santa Claus
with $300, $400 of my [bleep] in a linen bag.
All right. I'm a little ashamed.
Ashamed? You're a criminal!
You know, I gave you two years, though.
I don't feel good about this, man.
In fact, I was the guy back here defending you.
He was like, "You know, now Larry's been with me
"for a long time.
"Larry's gonna have an opportunity
Not anymore, man.
Larry, you got to understand something --
this is actually criminal. He can prosecute you for this
'cause it's all on tape. You're stealing.
I mean, you were stealing money.
He knows that's not my style. I'm not gonna do that.
And at this point,
there's nothing else for you to do.
I mean, you're lucky to just walk away, to be honest with you.
Get out of here. Get out of here.
Well, so, you know what -- why don't you go get Dominick,
bring him back in here,
Okay. Yeah.
I mean, it's tough with family. I mean, this is my brother.
Sorry, ladies, I'm gonna grab him for a second.
All right. We'll share him.
So to bring him back there -- it was difficult for me
not only because I don't want to be confrontational,
but to talk to him about what we had seen.
This is what's been going on.
CHARLES: I'm with a company called Mystery Diners,
and your brother hired us to come in and watch you.
There's some things we saw you doing
that I clearly think is inappropriate.
I don't really care, really, what your opinion is, really.
I know what I do as a job here, as a manager here.
You know, you're frisking these cute girls when they come in.
You're setting him up for a lawsuit
for *** harassment.
I kind of take offense to what you're saying to me.
You know, the customers that came in -- they're one of our Mystery Diners.
I mean, you grab his wife's hands and walked her into the restaurant.
And meanwhile, you got Larry looting the place
right behind your back because you're busy chasing skirts.
Don't [bleep] bring me down like that.
Yeah, well, you know.
No, no, it ain't, "Well, you know."
That's not your response to me.
It's his restaurant.
You think I don't know that? He's my brother.
And he knows me, and I know him.
I don't need some schmuck like you
to [bleep] tell me what my job is out there.
Look, you can call me all the names you want,
but your behavior is threatening this restaurant.
You know, I just did this for the business, man.
I'm just trying to make sure
this place is always running tight.
I can't have any gray areas.
My name is on that sign out there.
You know I love you.
Sometimes you just got to tone it back just a notch,
and I think we're good.
DOMINICK: Maybe I am a little over-the-top,
or sometimes a lot over-the-top.
And, you know, sometimes my judgment isn't 100%,
and I'll try and do my best on that.
I think these guys actually helped me a lot today.
It revealed a ton of things that some of --
I was familiar with, some of which I wasn't,
like Larry robbing us blind.
No, I get it, and I understand that.
You know, I know. I just get a little offended.
No, I get it. It's all good.
NICO: I'm really appreciative
of what Mystery Diners did for us.
I think this experience, for Dominick and I,
will lead us to a bigger, better place,
and I think it's really gonna improve
how we manage our restaurants here forward.
Here and ever after, I'll always remember this.
NARRATOR: Larry has apologized to Nico and has found work elsewhere.
Dominick has toned down his behavior with customers,
and business has never been better at Capo's.