Paterson councilman drops check at The Brownstone to cover unpaid wedding bill

Joe Malinconico
·2 min read
2

PATERSON — Paterson councilman Luis Velez dropped a $5,649 bank check off at The Brownstone banquet hall on Friday afternoon to settle the unpaid balance from his wedding last August.

The prominent catering hall’s owner, Albert Manzo, said he would ask the municipal court judge to drop the theft of services complaint he had filed against Velez last Monday.

“We wish we didn’t have to file a claim that apparently inspired him to settle the bill,” Manzo said. “But we have no hard feelings.”

Velez attributed the delinquent payment to a misunderstanding, saying he had never asked for a copy of the contract and an itemized bill until this past week. Velez said he learned from the bill that he still owed payment for the sales tax and service charge.

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“It’s sad we had to go through this process,” the councilman said.

Velez said on Friday he previously paid the Brownstone owners $17,000. Earlier in the week, he had said he paid $15,000.

The councilman and the catering hall owner agreed late Friday afternoon that Velez now has a zero balance on his account.

Paterson councilman Luis Velez dropped a $5,649 bank check off at The Brownstone banquet hall on Friday afternoon to settle the unpaid balance from his wedding last August.
Paterson councilman Luis Velez dropped a $5,649 bank check off at The Brownstone banquet hall on Friday afternoon to settle the unpaid balance from his wedding last August.

Velez on Monday told Paterson Press he had paid The Brownstone the $15,000 fee he had agreed upon with Manzo’s brother, Thomas. But the councilman said Albert Manzo instead was charging him $19,000 for the event.

Albert Manzo acknowledged that his brother Thomas agreed to charge Velez $15,000 for a wedding with 200 guests, which he described as “an extraordinary, wonderful price” akin to a friends and family discount. But Albert Manzo said Velez ended up with 270 guests at his wedding and had to be charged extra under the “per person” price.

Thomas Manzo, The Brownstone's other co-owner, was found guilty in June for his role in the assault of his ex-wife's new husband. He had been on trial for directing an alleged mafia member to assault the then boyfriend of his former wife, "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Dina Cantin.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Paterson councilman drops check at The Brownstone for unpaid bill