Serge Becker

Serge Becker
Born Paris, France
Occupation restaurateur, night club owner

Serge Becker is a New York City restaurateur and nightclub owner. Establishments in which he is an owner or partner include La Esquina, The Box, Miss Lilly's, Joe's Pub, Café Select, and others. His stated birthplace is Paris.[1] He is of Swiss and Vietnamese descent, and is the ex-husband of beauty entrepreneur Jodie Patterson, with whom he has a daughter.[2]

For years Becker identified himself repeatedly to the media as the primary co-owner of La Esquina, as well as describing employee Cordell Lochin as a co-owner. During Lochin's drug smuggling trial bizarre details emerged, including a letter from Serge Becker, described by prosecutors as "odd", insisting that Cordell Lochin was never a co-owner, and that Becker himself was not a co-owner but a front for the real owners, restaurateur James Gersten and architect Derek Sanders. Lochin countered by providing an email from Becker in which he and Lochin had discussed business terms. In 2010 the apparent real co-owners, Gersten and Sanders, issued a public statement confirming that Serge Becker had never been an owner in the establishment[3]

Gersten and Sanders' 2010 announcement dissociating themselves from Becker doesn't mention why they never publicly came forward to address numerous previous public accusations of rape, assault & battery and terroristic threats against customers including Argentine journalist Alberto Armendáriz,[4] by staff including alleged threats to commit rape by La Esquina doorman Dominic Chianese, Jr., an aspiring actor, standup comedian and son of Sopranos actor Dominic Chianese.[5] Becker, Gersten and Sanders also repeatedly refused to acknowledge or accept certified letters sent to them by the lawyer of a least one La Esquina complainant. Then-City Council Speaker Christine Quinn also called attention to these issues,[6] including the fact that the owners were hiring security staff who were not licensed security guards as New York City law requires. Why Becker took the heat for Gersten and Sanders by pretending to be the La Esquina owner while they remained silent during these controversies remains a mystery.

In recent years Becker and his publicist Nadine Johnson[7] have attempted to recast Becker in the New York City media as a civic-minded, middle-aged family man living with his girlfriend Meriem Soliman and their three children, running the upscale arts and entertainment venue Joe's Pub[8] and hosting art openings[9]

References

  1. ↑ New York Times(2011). http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/fashion/serge-becker-night-life-impresario.html At the Twilight of Night Life.
  2. ↑ W Magazine (2014). http://www.wmagazine.com/beauty/beauty-insiders/2014/02/jodie-patterson-doobop/photos/ Jodie Patterson: Beauty Insider.
  3. ↑ GrubStreet.com http://www.grubstreet.com/2010/07/five_years_in_la_esquina_says.html Five Years In, La Esquina Says Becker Is Not a Backer.
  4. ↑ El Diario (2007) http://esquinany.com/reforma.htm Hispanic describes police abuse at discoteca
  5. ↑ Washington Post (2001) http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/liveonline/01/entertainment/entertainment_chianese062001.htm Uncle Junior Sings!
  6. ↑ Quinn letter (2006) http://www.esquinany.com/quinn.htm Letter From Christine Quinn
  7. ↑ GrubStreet (2007) http://www.grubstreet.com/2007/09/serge_becker_drugdealing_consu.html Serge Becker: Drug-Dealing ‘Consultant’ Is Not a Co-Owner of the Box, La Esquina
  8. ↑ New York Times (2011) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/28/fashion/serge-becker-night-life-impresario.html?pagewanted=all At the Twilight of Night Life
  9. ↑ The Hole NYC (2013) http://theholenyc.com/2013/11/06/area-the-exhibition/ AREA: The Exhibition

External links

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