NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A celebrity wine expert faces arson charges after he allegedly set fire to outdoor dining structures in Manhattan over the course of several months this year, authorities said.
Caleb Ganzer, 35, was charged in connection with three fires set in January, June and July, according to the FDNY, which announced his arrest Wednesday.
Ganzer—who was reportedly once named Food & Wine magazine’s sommelier of the year, and who is a managing partner at the popular Manhattan wine bar La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels—faces charges of third-degree arson, third-degree criminal mischief and second-degree reckless endangerment.
In a statement, La Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels told the New York Times: "We as the company are aware of the incident, and Mr. Ganzer is on a leave of absence."
Authorities allege Ganzer first set fire to an outdoor dining shed at the Forsythia Restaurant on Stanton Street back on Jan. 8.
Ganzer then allegedly set a rubbish fire on the corner of Broome and Centre streets on June 26.
Weeks later, on July 13, he set Prince Street Pizza’s outdoor dining structure on fire, authorities said. Video shows a man, allegedly Ganzer, setting fire to the pizzeria’s dining shed around 2:55 a.m.
Authorities said the FDNY Fire Marshals busted Ganzer for the July 13 fire and then established a connection to the two earlier incidents.
In a statement Wednesday, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said no one was injured in the fires but that “every act of arson has the potential to spread rapidly, endangering the lives of New Yorkers and FDNY members.”
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