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IUPPER DARBY, Pa. — It’s a story “Of Mice and Men” but with a modern twist — real mice.
Monday, the owner of Nina’s Bella Pizzeria in Upper Darby, 8445 West Chester Pike, was charged with putting mice in two of his competitors’ pizza shops.
“It’s terrorism by mice,” said Upper Darby police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. “I’ve never had to deal with mice as an instrument of crime before, but mice multiply. They spread disease. This really could have caused a lot of damage.”
Nikolas Galiatsatos, 47, of 1000 Conestoga Road, Bryn Mawr, was charged with criminal mischief, harassment, disorderly conduct and cruelty to animals.
Pizza Owner Planted Mice On Competitor: MyFoxPHILLY.com
Rodents Of Mass Destruction?: MyFoxPHILLY.com
According to police, Galiatsatos walked into Verona Pizza at 8917 West Chester Pike about 2 p.m. Monday carrying a plastic bag and asked to use the restroom.
“He offered to buy a bag of chips, but I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it,’” said Fanis Facas, who owns Verona with his brothers, John and Nick. “Then I heard a bunch of banging from the restroom.”
When Galiatsatos exited the restroom, he was no longer carrying the bag, Facas said.
“I put two and two together and went to check the bathroom after he left,” Facas said.
Facas added that he saw footprints on the toilet and thought the man may have put drugs or contraband in the bathroom’s drop ceiling, and alerted two Upper Darby bicycle officers who were eating lunch at the restaurant.
“That guy must have put something into the ceiling,” Facas told the officers.
He stood on a chair and removed a plastic bag with brown paper bag inside it.
When they looked inside the bag, they saw three mice.
Officers Eric Collella and Ryan Wiseley went outside to look for the man. They saw him get out of his car across the street and walk into Uncle Nick’s Pizza at 9000 West Chester Pike, Chitwood said.
Galiatsatos was carrying a bag going in, but when police stopped to question him after exiting the pizza shop, he was empty-handed.
Uncle Nick’s owner Harry Saritsoglou said Galiatsatos walked in and asked for Saritsoglou’s mother, who wasn’t around.
Evidently, the two families have known each other for years and Galiatsatos’ brother used to work at Uncle Nick’s before Nina’s Bella Pizzeria opened a few months ago.
“We’ve been here for eight years and he’s never stopped by to say hi. It was just odd,” said Saritsoglou. “When he was walking out, he said, ‘Mind if I throw this out?’ and had a weird look on his face. I knew something was up. Whatever was in that bag wasn’t good.”
Saritsoglou looked in the trash and found a bag filled with six mice — five alive and one dead. He also saw Galiatsatos being stopped by police, and gave the bag of mice to police when they came to investigate minutes later.
“This was just slimy and downright wrong,” Saritsoglou said. “He knows he’s going to pay for it. I want him punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Facas also wants Galiatsatos punished for the damage the mice could have caused to his business.
“I’ve never met or seen this guy before today,” Facas said. “I now know he’s a competing business owner, but still don’t understand why he would do this. I just thank God none of the mice got out. That could have really hurt my business and my customers.”
While in police custody, Galiatsatos told police he bought the nine mice for $10 at Worldwide Aquarium on Garrett Road, Upper Darby.
“Apparently, he has a mice problem at his store and he told police he was getting even with the other store owners who he believed were responsible for his mice problem,” Chitwood said.
Owners of Verona and Uncle Nick’s say that’s ridiculous. Both have been in business for years and didn’t worry about another pizza shop two blocks away.
“We’ve had the owners of both places in here to take their statements,” Chitwood said. “There’s really no telling what kind of damage that could have been done if the shop owners and police hadn’t acted quickly.”
Police gave the mice to animal control to determine their fate. Galiatsatos is scheduled to be arraigned today in Upper Darby Upper Darby District Court.
http://www.southjerseylocalnews.com/articles/2011/03/01/region/doc4d6c27c9994e53...
Monday, the owner of Nina’s Bella Pizzeria in Upper Darby, 8445 West Chester Pike, was charged with putting mice in two of his competitors’ pizza shops.
“It’s terrorism by mice,” said Upper Darby police Superintendent Michael Chitwood. “I’ve never had to deal with mice as an instrument of crime before, but mice multiply. They spread disease. This really could have caused a lot of damage.”
Nikolas Galiatsatos, 47, of 1000 Conestoga Road, Bryn Mawr, was charged with criminal mischief, harassment, disorderly conduct and cruelty to animals.
Pizza Owner Planted Mice On Competitor: MyFoxPHILLY.com
Rodents Of Mass Destruction?: MyFoxPHILLY.com
According to police, Galiatsatos walked into Verona Pizza at 8917 West Chester Pike about 2 p.m. Monday carrying a plastic bag and asked to use the restroom.
“He offered to buy a bag of chips, but I told him, ‘Don’t worry about it,’” said Fanis Facas, who owns Verona with his brothers, John and Nick. “Then I heard a bunch of banging from the restroom.”
When Galiatsatos exited the restroom, he was no longer carrying the bag, Facas said.
“I put two and two together and went to check the bathroom after he left,” Facas said.
Facas added that he saw footprints on the toilet and thought the man may have put drugs or contraband in the bathroom’s drop ceiling, and alerted two Upper Darby bicycle officers who were eating lunch at the restaurant.
“That guy must have put something into the ceiling,” Facas told the officers.
He stood on a chair and removed a plastic bag with brown paper bag inside it.
When they looked inside the bag, they saw three mice.
Officers Eric Collella and Ryan Wiseley went outside to look for the man. They saw him get out of his car across the street and walk into Uncle Nick’s Pizza at 9000 West Chester Pike, Chitwood said.
Galiatsatos was carrying a bag going in, but when police stopped to question him after exiting the pizza shop, he was empty-handed.
Uncle Nick’s owner Harry Saritsoglou said Galiatsatos walked in and asked for Saritsoglou’s mother, who wasn’t around.
Evidently, the two families have known each other for years and Galiatsatos’ brother used to work at Uncle Nick’s before Nina’s Bella Pizzeria opened a few months ago.
“We’ve been here for eight years and he’s never stopped by to say hi. It was just odd,” said Saritsoglou. “When he was walking out, he said, ‘Mind if I throw this out?’ and had a weird look on his face. I knew something was up. Whatever was in that bag wasn’t good.”
Saritsoglou looked in the trash and found a bag filled with six mice — five alive and one dead. He also saw Galiatsatos being stopped by police, and gave the bag of mice to police when they came to investigate minutes later.
“This was just slimy and downright wrong,” Saritsoglou said. “He knows he’s going to pay for it. I want him punished to the fullest extent of the law.”
Facas also wants Galiatsatos punished for the damage the mice could have caused to his business.
“I’ve never met or seen this guy before today,” Facas said. “I now know he’s a competing business owner, but still don’t understand why he would do this. I just thank God none of the mice got out. That could have really hurt my business and my customers.”
While in police custody, Galiatsatos told police he bought the nine mice for $10 at Worldwide Aquarium on Garrett Road, Upper Darby.
“Apparently, he has a mice problem at his store and he told police he was getting even with the other store owners who he believed were responsible for his mice problem,” Chitwood said.
Owners of Verona and Uncle Nick’s say that’s ridiculous. Both have been in business for years and didn’t worry about another pizza shop two blocks away.
“We’ve had the owners of both places in here to take their statements,” Chitwood said. “There’s really no telling what kind of damage that could have been done if the shop owners and police hadn’t acted quickly.”
Police gave the mice to animal control to determine their fate. Galiatsatos is scheduled to be arraigned today in Upper Darby Upper Darby District Court.
http://www.southjerseylocalnews.com/articles/2011/03/01/region/doc4d6c27c9994e53...
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- tags:
- Competition, Pizza, Mice, competitive
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bailey78
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Thats creative and funny but only in a sick an nasty kind of way.
- 1 year ago
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bailey78
