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Ettorre v. New York Pizzeria, Inc.

S.D. Tex.June 10, 2023No. 4:19-cv-00245
Plaintiff WinRusso's Westheimer, Inc.$99,398 awarded
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Case Details

Nature of Suit — the legal category of the dispute
710 Labor: Fair Standards
Status — whether other courts must follow this ruling
Unknown
Procedural Posture — the stage the case had reached
appeal
State
Texas

Related Laws

No specific laws identified for this ruling.

Claim Types

Wage Theft

Outcome

Plaintiff Chiara Ettorre prevailed on Fair Labor Standards Act claims and was awarded $99,398.00 in judgment, which the Fifth Circuit affirmed. The court granted her post-judgment motion for appointment of a receiver and master to enforce collection against the defendant employer.

What This Ruling Means

Ettorre v. New York Pizzeria, Inc.

What Happened

Chiara Ettorre worked for Russo's Westheimer, Inc. and claimed the restaurant violated federal wage and hour laws by not paying her fairly. She sued under the Fair Labor Standards Act, which sets minimum wage and overtime requirements for workers across the country.

What the Court Decided

The court ruled in Ettorre's favor, awarding her $99,398 in damages. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld this decision. The judge went further, appointing a special official (called a receiver and master) to ensure the restaurant actually paid the judgment, since the company couldn't be trusted to pay on its own.

Why This Matters

This case shows that courts take wage theft seriously and will enforce workers' rights vigorously. When employers don't pay workers properly, courts can award significant damages and assign officials to oversee payment collection. Workers who believe they've been underpaid have legal options and can recover money owed to them—even if their employer tries to avoid paying.

This summary was generated to explain the ruling in plain English and is not legal advice.

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This ruling information is sourced from public court records via CourtListener.com. Case outcomes, claim types, and summaries are extracted using AI analysis and may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is provided for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

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