Criniti’s Italian restaurant chain at centre of million-dollar court case

EXCLUSIVE: Behind the flash facade of the Criniti’s restaurant empire, owner Frank Criniti says his financial backers had crime figures threaten to kill his family and shoot up his restaurants.

Frank Criniti's house at Glenhaven sold for $9 million.

GUESTS are picked up in Rolls-Royce Phantoms, Ducati motorbikes adorn the walls and the restaurants are celebrity hot spots.

But behind the facade of the Criniti’s restaurant empire, owner Frank Criniti says his financial backers had crime figures threaten to kill his family and shoot up his restaurants unless he repaid their investment.

Mr Criniti, whose chain of Italian eateries includes the celebrity haunt on Woolloomooloo Wharf, has told the NSW Supreme Court his investors subjected him to a fear campaign where he was allegedly warned: “We are going to come by and shoot your house. You are dead.”

Frank Criniti’s former wife Rima with celebrity chef Hayden Quinn at the opening of the chain’s Manly outlet.

At the heart of the dispute is a claim by investors they ploughed almost $4 million into Mr Criniti’s restaurant chain between 2011 and 2013 only to see him renege on an “oral agreement” to give them shares in the restaurants and a slice of profits.

The investors are two companies, Discobell and Planet High, which are linked to Western Sydney men Gino Cassaniti and Faouzi “Fred” Khalil and Canterbury-based business Banq Accountants.

They are now suing Mr Criniti for more than $1 million after the restaurateur repaid $2 million.

Mr Criniti, 37, who is defending the case, told the court there was only a deal for money to be invested, with no repayment date or guarantee for shares.

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Italian motorbikes adorn Criniti's Restaurant in Woolloomooloo.

Criniti's in the Piazza Castle Towers.

After opening his first restaurant in 2003 at Parramatta, Mr Criniti went on to open seven more with the help of his now ex-wife Rima at locations including Woolloomooloo, Darling Harbour and Manly, which are frequented by the celebrity set.

The investors also claim Mr Criniti agreed to convert the investment into a loan to be repaid with 20 per cent interest within seven days before entering into a settlement deed legally binding him to repay $3.3 million.

In court submissions, Mr Criniti denied agreeing to the loan and said the deed was “void” because he agreed to it under “duress”.

Outdoor entertaining area at Frank Criniti's house at Glenhaven.

The indoor pool at the Criniti residence.

Mr Criniti said one threat came from Comancheros associate Baris Tukel, who said “he could pay someone $5000 to shoot one of the restaurants”.

During a February 2014 phone call with Mr Tukel and Mr Khalil, Mr Criniti claims a third man shouted down the line: “We are going to come by and shoot your house. You are dead.”

Days later, Mr Tukel allegedly crashed Mr Criniti’s meeting with a bank employee and told him he owed $4 million before, according to court documents, saying: “You watch what happens now! You’ve made your own bed and now you’re going to sleep in it.”

CFrank Criniti’s former wife Rima at the opening of Criniti's Manly restaurant.

In July 2014, Mr Tukel allegedly approached Mr Criniti’s brother outside his home and said: “You tell Frank that he and his family are not safe wherever he is — whether it is Essendon or Adelaide. If $1 million is not paid in three days ... then something big is going to happen.

“In fact, it’s less safe for him in Melbourne because we have more people there.”

The investors claim they ­advanced Mr Criniti $3.9 million to sink into his ­restaurants.

After the July 2014 threat, Mr Criniti repaid $1 million and followed up with ­another $1 million in ­October 2014, the court documents said.

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Two months later, Mr Criniti and his wife sold their Glenhaven mansion for $9 million.

After Mr Criniti missed a $594,000 payment, the investors launched legal action in September 2015 to recover the remaining $1.9 million.

Mr Criniti has since launched a counterclaim to rescind the deed and have the investors return the $2 million because he claims the payments were made under “duress”.

Complicating matters, Rima Criniti has split from Mr Criniti and launched legal action to carve up their assets.

The Australian Taxation Office has intervened to ensure his “significant” tax bills are paid before the assets are split. The matter returns to court on February 24.

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