Tony Roman of ‘Basilico’s Pasta E Vino’ sues Gavin Newsom for taking possession of his firm’s property throughout COVID.
Tony Roman from ‘Basilico’s Pasta E Vino’ is suing California Governor Gavin Newsom in federal court docket to remind Individuals of Newsom’s woke, lockdown tyrannical insurance policies.
Roman’s lawsuit is in response to the state of California seizing the restaurant’s property years after his lockdown defiance. Roman claims his Constitutional rights have been violated.
Right here is Roman’s press launch:
Huntington Seashore, CA; September 8, 2025 Tony Roman proprietor of ‘Basilico’s Pasta e Vino‘ ‘Basilico’s Pasta e Vino’, a restaurant with a historical past of aggressive and provocative lockdown defiance throughout Covid, filed a federal lawsuit on September 9, 2025 within the Central District of California, in opposition to Gavin Newsom and the State of California, after its property have been seized by the federal government lengthy after the lockdowns and mandates ended. The submitting claims Newsom and the state violated Roman’s constitutional rights, particularly the First, Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.
Roman who additionally hosts the podcast ‘Roman Rules’, refers to Newsom as ‘Gavin Pelosi’, and says, ‘This little wannabe dictator is immediately speaking powerful, attempting to rebrand himself together with his manufactured masculinity, and on the identical time attempting to make individuals neglect about how he imprisoned Individuals in the course of the lockdowns, separated households and destroyed companies. Nicely with this lawsuit, I’m going to tug him again right into a battle he doesn’t need, and expose him as fraud, as he plans to make a run at The White Home in 2028. His new act is embarrassing, and I’m going to remind everybody what a ‘tiny tyrant’ he actually is at his core!”
When requested if there may be something Newsom might do to keep away from the embarrassment, Roman responded, “Perhaps at minimal if he points a proper apology for the wreckage he has triggered, reimburses American households and companies for his or her losses, and resigns from workplace instantly!”
No enterprise within the nation was extra defiant in the course of the covid lockdowns and mandates than Roman and ‘Basilico’s Pasta e Vino’. He defied overtly and aggressively, pledging his restaurant as a ‘Constitutional Battleground’ on day one of many nation’s first lockdowns on March 19, 2020. He did so in protection of liberty and freedom, and in honor of those that have risked and sacrificed the whole lot to present us and shield our cherished American lifestyle … the Founding Fathers and our courageous navy heroes.
Roman’s enterprise remained open and operated totally with zero restrictions, and when Newsom’s mandates have been imposed, he hit again laborious by banning masks fully from his restaurant and property, requiring proof of being unvaccinated for entry and even extending their hours late into the evening when curfews have been ordered.
Roman promised to battle anybody who attacked his defiance primarily based on his America first beliefs and he did, together with town, the state, the county, the feds, Hollywood, the media, the restaurant’s landlord who tried evicting the enterprise over his beliefs and even fellow residents who trashed Basilico’s on-line popularity and by the tons of threatened to kill him and burn down his restaurant.
Roman responded additional by mocking and taunting Newsom and the mandates by putting in a 48 ft. billboard in Beverly Hills that learn ‘Go away the Masks, Take the Cannoli’, his spin on the well-known quote from the film The Godfather’. Throughout vaccine mandates, he additionally put in an enormous wallscape on the boardwalk in Venice Seashore that learn ‘Go away the Vax, Take the Cannoli’.
Roman mentioned, “The enemy has been emboldened by the weak spot demonstrated by Individuals who simply rolled over in the course of the lockdowns and mandates. And what’s extra irritating is the stolen valor dedicated by those that are embarrassed by their complicity, as they immediately attempt to rewrite historical past, claiming to have been defiant. Tentative acts of defiance resembling reopening after already shutting down as soon as, making masks elective, opening areas partially, and working in stealth mode to keep away from penalties aren’t adequate. It solely weakens the usual wanted for combating tyrants and successful. If different companies would have adopted our lead when requested, we’d have by no means been on this mess. So to them I say … subsequent time keep in mind, you’re Individuals. battle prefer it!”
CAL-OSHA, supervised by Joe Biden’s Federal OSHA, was enlisted by Newsom as one among his gestapo styled California lockdown ‘Strike Groups’ they usually tried pressuring Roman to adjust to the mandates once they visited his restaurant on a number of events. Roman refused them entry. In early 2021 they returned with a Huntington Seashore Police escort and a search / inspection warrant. Roman once more stonewalled them, No entry!
After a couple of years of silence, in late 2023, underneath the route of Newsom, OSHA blindsided Roman and seized his enterprise checking account and all working funds, in an obvious try and cripple the enterprise and pressure him to close down as soon as and for all. Roman promised his workforce and supporters that he would by no means give up and provides the enemy satisfaction by closing the enterprise on account of their actions. The lawsuit filed in U.S. Federal Court docket within the Central District of California, is in response.
Roman mentioned, “I can not permit them to hit and run like this and have the final phrase. They began this battle, and we have to try to end it!” The result of this newest battle between Roman and Newsom nevertheless might be decided by a choose, and never simply Roman’s uncompromising combating spirit. He understands this, saying ‘We don’t have a historical past of utilizing the courts when combating. We want to face on our personal two ft, “However this time is completely different, and we are going to quickly discover out as soon as once more if our judiciary lastly has the backbone to rule in favor of liberty and freedom and in opposition to tyranny and treason.”
Till then, I’m grateful to our supporters, particularly our unimaginable authorized workforce led by attorneys Heather Gibson and Okay. Lawson Pedigo. As a result of they consider in our trigger and the rules of which our nation was based upon, we now have a shot.”
About ‘Basilico’s Pasta e Vino’
Basilico’s is an Italian American restaurant in Huntington Seashore, CA opened in 1999 by Roman’s mom. When she fell severely unwell, as a tribute to her, he constructed and gifted her a brand new restaurant at its present location in 2017. His mom handed away in 2023, and Roman continues to function the restaurant in her reminiscence, serving all of her unique recipes and dishes.
For Press and Authorized Monetary Help Inquiries
Contact: Doug Wooding at 714.697.8330
