A 66-year-old former Musso & Frank Grill floor manager has settled his wrongful termination case against the famed restaurant in which he alleged he was fired in 2022 because of his age and medical conditions.
An attorney for plaintiff Leonardo Beccai filed court papers on Friday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Maurice A. Leiter stating that the case was resolved. No terms were divulged.
Beccai sued Aug. 24, alleging discrimination, harassment and retaliation, as well as an allegation the restaurant failed to prevent all three. He additionally alleged failure to accommodate and engage in the interactive process.
Brad Pitt and Leonardo DiCaprio’s characters met with a Hollywood honcho portrayed by Al Pacino in 2019’s Oscar-winning “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” at the bar of the Musso & Frank Grill.
In their court papers, Musso & Frank attorneys denied Beccai’s allegations, stating he was fired for engaging in sexual harassment and that he never made his discrimination allegations before losing his job.
Beccai was hired as a floor manager at the Hollywood Boulevard eatery in February 2018 and six months later began having a medical problem in which he needed to use the bathroom more frequently and which sometimes made him dizzy, so he informed his supervisor, the suit states.
Despite the boss’ promise he would be accommodated, he began to bully and berate Beccai and accused him of not being on the restaurant floor although his restroom breaks were brief, the suit states. The supervisor also made disparaging remarks about Beccai’s age, suggesting it might be time for him to retire, the suit states.
Beccai believes his boss wrote in his personnel file false statements that he took excessively long rest and meal breaks, according to the suit.
Beccai and the other restaurant workers were furloughed in March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic and Beccai had surgery in August of that year for his medical condition, the suit states. Beccai’s supervisor visited after surgery and both hoped it would alleviate his health problems, the suit states.
Although Musso & Frank resumed operations and returned employees to work in June 2021, Beccai was not brought back despite his repeated inquiries and he instead was told to re-interview for his position, the suit states.
“During the interview, M&F questioned whether plaintiff would be able perform his job due to his age and/or disability and suggested that Plaintiff should take a pay cut in order to return to work,” the suit stated.
Beccai was told to come back to the job in October 2021, but about a month later he developed another medical problem that left him with pain and feelings of weakness, so he had to sit more often and avoid heavy lifting, the suit states.
Beccai’s supervisor again began bullying and harassing him due to his physical disabilities and his age, according to the suit, which further alleges the boss repeatedly threatened to demote or fire the plaintiff.
Beccai asked for and was denied two consecutive days off each week and his supervisor harassed him each time he made such a request, including one occasion when the boss said that perhaps the plaintiff should look for another job, according to the suit.
Beccai was fired in July 2022 while on vacation for his daughter’s wedding and was given the false justification that he had been accused of sexual harassment by another employee, according to the suit, which further stated the plaintiff believes he lost his job because of his age and medical issues that could have been accommodated.