DALLAS — The owners of a Back Mountain restaurant pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday on charges that they had failed to collect and pay $95,710 in federal payroll taxes.
Andrea Tomasino, 70, and Guiseppe Tomasino, 44, owners of Tomasino’s Ristorante Italiano in the Dallas Village Shopping Center, were charged with willfully failing to pay the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) federal payroll taxes from the first quarter of 2014 to the first quarter of 2019, according to a release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Acting U.S. Attorney Bruce D. Brandler explained in the release that Andrea and Guiseppe Tomasino, in their role as co-owners of Tomasino’s, were responsible for collecting and paying federal payroll taxes, including Federal Insurance Contribution Act (FICA) taxes.
They allegedly failed to do so from 2014 to 2019 in the total amount of $95,710.
Tomasino’s co-owner Guiseppe Tomasino spoke with a Times Leader reporter on Wednesday evening, acknowledging that they had “made a mistake” by making some off-book payments in an attempt to save money.
“We made a mistake, and since day one we’ve acknowledged it,” Tomasino said. “It’s not always such a profitable business anymore, and I really just want to keep it going.”
Tomasino also asked for leniency and stressed the importance of Tomasino’s to the community.
“We’ve been part of the Back Mountain family for 12 or 13 years, we’ve contributed a lot to the community,” Tomasino said. “Throw us a stone here, that’s all I ask. It’s not just our family impacted here, it’s everyone’s family here.”
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey St John is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for this type of offense would be five years’ imprisonment, along with a term of supervised release and a fine.
