'Autonomous zone' Staten Island bar plans to sue Governor Cuomo over restrictions

STATEN ISLAND, New York (WABC) -- Some embattled bar owners on Staten Island, who have refused to comply with COVID restrictions, are now planning to sue Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The owners of Mac's Public House claim Governor Cuomo's COVID restrictions defied logic and they have declared their business an autonomous zone.

Naveen Dhaliwal reports from Staten Island where sheriff's deputies shut down a bar and arrested the general manager.

The bar has been closed since December, but now the owners are planning to reopen without enforcing COVID regulations.

"Mac's is going to open and we're not going to follow any mandates," Mac's Public House co-owner Dan Presti said. "If you wanna wear masks, wear mask -- if you don't, you don't have to. Nowhere are small business owners supposed to be the mask police and enforce these policies."

Presti has been fined repeatedly for refusing to follow COVID regulations.

He was also charged with driving into a sheriff's deputy outside the bar in December.

Kemberly Richardson has more on the newly released surveillance video showing a Staten Island bar general manager drive off with a cop on his car.

A grand jury declined to indict Presti for assault.

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