A feud is simmering between waiters and busboys at the troubled Cipriani restaurant empire, as the two groups battle on divvying up their nightly tip money. "It's a war," said one busboy, who apparently isn't afraid to sleep with the fishes.
The background is as follows: two months ago, the restaurant, located in the Sherry-Netherland, hired extra busboys (presumably to help clean up all those mob ties), which widened the tip pool waiters would be collecting from every night. To retaliate, the waiters cut the busboy's share in said pool from 33% to 15%, and the battle was on. Busboys are now taking home roughly $60 a day in tips, while waiters are walking out with $400.
While both sides are in union arbitration, we wouldn't be surprised if one party goes rogue and just starts stealing thousands of dollars worth of tips from the restaurant, instead. Kitchen justice is harsh.
