NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- An Upper West Side bartender is being disciplined and retrained after refusing service to a man in a 'Make America Great Again' hat.
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Dion Cini told NBC4 that he was asked to leave Jake's Dilemma after being in the bar for an hour. He said he noticed bartenders talking during a shift change, and was kicked out before finishing his meal.
Cini shared video from the incident to Facebook. He said he's been denied service elsewhere in the city, about a dozen times. He told NBC4 that the bar ran his card without permission, in a similar incident at a different establishment Cini said his $200 was covered.
"Denying service is OK, I get it, your bar, your restaurant -- you call the shots. But if you accept service and then kick me out, then it’s a problem,” he said.
Bars are legally allowed to refuse service to people wearing MAGA hats, per a 2018 court ruling. Jake's said they welcome customers of all 'beliefs and affiliations.'
"The ownership and management of Jake’s Dilemma would like to directly address an incident which occurred at the bar this past week and has been making its way around social media. We would like everyone to know that we strive to remain completely apolitical and welcome customers with all beliefs and affiliations with the same first-rate level of customer service. Jake’s Dilemma is not a place promoting any specific political ideology nor a place where we want anyone to feel unwelcome. Rather, we encourage all to eat, drink, socialize and enjoy themselves at our bar. Our staff and management team include people from all walks of life and beliefs. There is no singular or any defining character of Jake’s Dilemma. With all this in mind, we do fully acknowledge that one of our employees took it upon himself to wrongly promote his political views. We can assure everyone that this employee has been disciplined and will be retrained before being allowed to serve at Jake’s Dilemma. We hope to see you at Jake's Dilemma next time you are in the neighborhood," the bar said on Facebook.
Bar owner Mitchell Banchik also told NBC4 that Cini was being loud and making anti-Semitic comments. Banchik said it was those issues and not the hat that prompted Cini's ejection, but conceded that the bartender should not have addressed the hat. Cini called those claims 100 percent false.
Cini has made headlines in the past for his public support of President Trump. In November he was banned from Disney World for holding a Trump 2020 sign on Splash Mountain. He also pulled out a Trump 2020 flag at Frozen on Broadway. He told NBC4 it's part of his campaign to 'resist the resisters.'