Arrigo and Giuseppe Cipriani, the father-son team that runs such ritzy restaurants as the Rainbow Room, Harry’s Bar in Venice, Downtown Cipriani, Harry Cipriani and Cipriani Dolci pleaded guilty earlier today to evading $10 million in New York state and city taxes.
Giuseppe Cipriani, president and CEO of Cipriani USA, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor tax evasion charges for falsifying tax returns. His father Arrigo, who owns Cipriani SA, pleaded guilty to felony tax charges. The pair are unlikely to serve any jail time, but will have to pay an estimated $10 million in back taxes as well as have an independent tax monitor for the next four years.
The Ciprianis' lawyer Stanley Arkin did not immediately return our call, but told the AP that the plea "allows the Cipriani family to put this incident behind them.”