Mezzaluna's official comment: no comment - Mezzaluna restaurant responds to unwanted publicity surrounding the O. J. Simpson trial

In the last week we received numerous phone calls, threats and protestations as a result of various quotes attributed by the press to our management or ownership. We reluctantly are compelled to make a public statement to clarify our position and hope to put an end to any misrepresentation of our opinion. So this is our statement for the record, and we will live with its consequences. This is our only statement, and we hope all members of the press will refer to it in the future when they quote us.

The death of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson is a tragedy that has directly affected the staff and management of Mezzaluna. Each one of us was touched personally because we knew them and liked them. Our staff has continued to do its job beautifully under very trying circumstances. We are proud of how well everyone reacted under pressure. In view of the pain suffered by the families, our predicament seemed insignificant. However, it does not seem that the unwanted attention, misquotes and misrepresentations are ever going to end.

From the very first day, reporters with cameras besieged the restaurant. We refused to let any of them inside the restaurant. All we ever had to say was how sad we were because of the death of two young people in such horrible circumstances. It is not our place to make any other comments. We refused to appear on any talk shows, and they all asked and we refused to make any other comments.

Our staff had to respond on a daily basis to insensitive comments about Ron and Nicole, ignore the camera-carrying customers inside and outside the restaurant, looking for "souvenirs," and the professional newsmen with cameras, looking for cheap quotes or controversial statements to build a story. Our staff did it and maintained their dignity.

We lost all our china, menus, ashtrays and any items bearing our logo. We purposely decided not to replace them. We used to have Mezzaluna T-shirts and caps for sale, but we discontinued the practice. We were offered licensing deals, but we discouraged them. We tried as much as we could not to capitalize on a tragedy. Nevertheless, we were accused by the press of writing a cookbook without anyone checking for accuracy. The story appeared in one magazine, and it was reported on at least two TV shows. It is not true.

We received numerous crank phone calls, false reservations, abusive phone calls and even an on-the-air reservation for O.J. Simpson while he was still in jail. It was made by someone at a radio station in St. Louis who thought it would amuse its listeners.

When the verdict was announced, the TV crews were here again. Initially, we made no comments. We were advised that a demonstration was planned in front of the restaurant because of our alleged insensitivity regarding Ron since no statements were made. We therefore tried to make a brief comment. Both CBS and Time magazine wanted to ask the same stupid question: What would we do if Simpson came to the restaurant?

Simpson is living in his own prison. He may not be confined to four walls, but he is not going to restaurants, not traveling on airlines, not working out at gyms, not going to supermarkets.

Simpson was found not guilty. Discriminating against him is against the law. We are a public place, a restaurant. We do not make the laws or enforce them; we just live under them. In this context, if Simpson came to the restaurant, he would be served just as he is served by the gas company and by Southern California Edison.

Both CBS and Time set us up with a hypothetical, controversial question. Our answers were edited and misreported by various media. As a result of these misrepresentations, we have been receiving so many abusive phone calls that we had to turn our phones off on Sunday night. Monday morning the whole neighborhood woke up to the sight of abusive signs all over San Vicente Boulevard.

We have never offered opinions. We have never sought publicity or recognition based on the tragedy. We are not experts or pundits; our opinions are private, and our feelings are personal. We ask you to leave it this way. If confronted with delicate situations, each of our staff and customers will react according to his convictions and conscience without interference from us. We as an establishment will obey the law.

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