The man once credited with saving a beloved San Francisco restaurant is behind bars today, after prosecutors say he repeatedly sexually assaulted a young boy over the course of five years.
Gaspare Giudice purchased the century-old Original U.S. Restaurant from its original owners in 2005, but the restaurant closed in 2015. It reopened a few months later, Hoodline reported at the time, with new owners "Alberto Cipollina, who ran the previous incarnation of Original U.S.[and] Mario Alioto, executive vice president of business operations for the San Francisco Giants."
Giudice remained as "floor manager," Cipollina told Eater Tuesday, when they broke the news that Giudice was arrested August 2 for "two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child, continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14, sexual intercourse or sodomy with a child 10 or younger, and oral copulation or penetration with a child."
According to the Ex, "Giudice allegedly abused a young boy from January 2001 to early 2006, according to court records. The alleged abuse began when the boy was 5 years old."
A spokesperson with the SF District Attorney's Office tells Eater that “The victim was merely five years old when this conduct was alleged to have begun...These highly disturbing allegations warrant very serious charges.”
It's unclear from court records where in San Francisco the crimes occurred. Giudice's relationship to the victim is also unclear at present.
Giudice is being represented by SF's Public Defender's office, which didn't respond to an Ex request for comment, they report. Update: SF Public Defender's Office spokesperson Tamara Aparton says that they are no longer representing Giudice due to conflict issues.
“I’m shocked to hear what happened,” Cipollina told Eater. “I still don’t believe it. I didn’t know Gaspare to be that kind of person.”
The Ex reports that Giudice first appeared in court on August 3, but a plea wasn't entered at that time as he "will require an Italian translator in court." He is expected to return to court on August 21, and remains in San Francisco County Jail on $3 million bond.