In a collective legal action that underscores the ongoing struggle for fair labor practices, a group of employees has filed a lawsuit against a well-known Chicago restaurant chain. The complaint was lodged by Edgar Gustavo Rocha Garcia and several other plaintiffs in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on March 20, 2025, targeting Damenzo’s Pizza & Restaurant and its owners.
The plaintiffs, represented by attorney Timothy M. Nolan from the Nolan Law Office, allege that Damenzo’s Pizza & Restaurant, along with its owners Damiano Mannino, Ana G. Mannino, and Francesca L. Raffaelli, systematically violated labor laws by failing to pay overtime wages as required under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Illinois Minimum Wage Law (IMWL), and Chicago Minimum Wage Ordinance (CMWO). According to the lawsuit, these violations have affected current and former employees who worked as cooks, pizza makers, food preparers, and kitchen staff at Damenzo’s.
The complaint details how employees were routinely scheduled for workweeks exceeding forty hours without receiving appropriate overtime compensation. Plaintiffs like Edgar Garcia reported working alternating weeks of fifty-four to sixty-two hours since October 2022 without receiving time-and-a-half pay for overtime hours. Similarly, other plaintiffs such as Juan Manuel Garcia-Nunez and Miguel Angel Garcia-Soto described working consistent six-day weeks with significant overtime but only being compensated at their standard hourly rates.
The lawsuit accuses Damenzo’s of employing a dual wage payment scheme where part of the wages was paid via check while additional hours were compensated with unreported cash payments—an alleged attempt to circumvent tax obligations and conceal overtime violations. This practice not only denied workers their rightful earnings but also contravened record-keeping regulations mandated by federal and state laws.
In response to these allegations, the plaintiffs are seeking various forms of relief from the court. They demand judgment for unpaid overtime compensation calculated at one-and-a-half times their regular pay rates for all hours worked beyond forty per week. Additionally, they seek liquidated damages equivalent to unpaid wages under FLSA provisions and statutory damages under Illinois law amounting to three times the unpaid overtime plus interest penalties. The suit also requests coverage of reasonable attorneys’ fees incurred during litigation.
The case is presided over by Judge [Name] under Case ID 1:25-cv-02981. Attorney Timothy M. Nolan represents the plaintiffs in this matter.