One of the ex-employee’s allegations in Arthur Nash’s personal injury lawsuit against the hotel [Arthur Nash, plaintiff vs. David Elder, Chelsea 23rd St. Corp., BD NY Hotels, LLC, Charles Ferri, et. al., before the Supreme Court of the State of New York] is that manager Arnold Tamasar sent him on personal errands during work hours. The ex- employee writes:
54. Tamasar once sent me to Dolce and Gabbana to purchase a new pair of shoes for him.
55. I took a cab at the expense of the Hotel during regular business hours to Dolce & Gabbana.
56. I purchased Tamasar’s Dolce & Gabbana shoes with cash Tamasar gave me.
57. Tamasar also sent me to the florist during regular business hours to pick out a bouquet for a date he had that evening.
58. While at the florist, I paid for Tamasar’s flowers with cash given to me by Tamasar.
Setting aside issues of abuse of authority, misuse of hotel funds, and the like, what strikes us as most significant in this charge is that Arnold Tamasar allegedly gave the employee cash to make these purchases. A glance at the Dolce and Gabbana online store shows two pairs of shoes in their fall/winter collection, one of them a pair of combat boots for a whopping $895! Assuming that Tamasar wasn’t taking his alleged date to a survivalist retreat or a tractor pull, but rather, perhaps, out for a night of dinner and dancing, he probably would have preferred something more along the lines of the other pair, black lace-up dress shoes, a relative bargain at only $795! (Sneakers, starting at $395, are too hideous to accuse even Tamasar of purchasing.) Does our resident high-rolling playboy really carry that much money around in his wallet? Must be nice working at the Chelsea!
Maybe Tamasar intends to pay for his costly shoe habit with the severance money he presumably stands to receive if and when the Chelsea is sold. The ex-employee writes:
86. Tamasar indicated that his contract with Chelsea 23rd St. Corp would end with the sale of the Hotel.
87. Tamasar further indicated that the office employees [including, presumably, himself] would receive severance pay if and when the Hotel sold.
88. Tamasar was extremely eager to get the Hotel sold, and leave his employment at the Hotel.
Our talks with another ex-employee serve to confirm the deposed ex-employees allegations. The second ex-employee also alleges that Arnold Tamasar regularly sent office employees on his personal errands. And though the second ex-employee doesn’t know specifically of any severance package, he or she told us that when Tamasar received his contract with the hotel, (when he returned from a month long leave in May 2010) the proud new Lord of 23rd St. waved said document around the office triumphantly, declaring that he had been brought in not to manage the Chelsea, but to aid in its sale!
This is a truly inspirational, rags-to-riches story worthy of Horatio Alger: from lowly bathroom specialist to highly compensated demolition expert, trampling 128 years of tradition beneath his overpriced designer shoes. And although the combat boots would have worked better for that, soon there’ll be no need to walk at all anymore. Unfurl thy golden parachute and fly, Tender Tootsie-Tsar!
Living with Legends 
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