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Developer Patrick Carroll has been accused of spitting in the face of a Miami restaurant manager during a heated argument, according to a report in The Real Deal.
A video obtained by the publication shows Carroll walking up to the manager of the eatery and appearing to spit in his face before walking away.
The manager Miguel Angel Weill, told The Real Deal the spit was retaliation for Weill preventing Carroll from hitting on another customer at the restaurant.
“This individual embarrassed me in front of my employees and guests,” Weill told the publication. “He was trying to exert power over me.”
The surveillance clip
Indeed, a surveillance clip filmed earlier in the evening shows Carroll getting up from the table where he was dining with friends. He walks over to another table to start talking to a woman who was having dinner with a man — but not before the restaurant’s manager intercepts Carroll and exchanges words with him. Weill walks away after Carroll, dressed in dark pants and a white t-shirt, touches his arm and Carroll proceeds to talk to the seated woman.
Carroll makes conversation with the woman for a few seconds and shakes her male companion’s hand while Weill returns to pour water for the couple. Carroll then makes his way back to his table.
In the second half of the clip, Carroll walks toward Weill with his jacket on and hand outstretched as if he is going in for a handshake. When he reaches Weill, the manager sticks his hand out and begins to shake Carroll’s hand. Carroll then appears to spit in Weill’s face and walks out of the restaurant.
Carroll turns in the direction of the couple he had spoken to earlier in the evening before walking out, who appear visually shocked by his behavior.
Comments from Carroll’s spokesperson
A spokesperson for Carroll claimed to The Real Deal that his client did not actually spit on Weill but merely pantomimed spitting. He did acknowledge that Carroll got into a heated argument with the manager.
“Patrick showed tremendous restraint,” spokesperson Lewis Goldberg told the publication. “He is not happy with his own behavior. But the manager issued what are known as fighting words.”
Goldberg also claimed Weill was attempting to extort Carroll, who is reportedly looking to sell his firm the Carroll Organization which operates a multifamily property empire estimated to be worth $7.4 billion.
“The manager told him, ‘I know who you are. I want you to hit me so I can get paid,’” Goldberg claims. “Patrick acknowledged that and moved on to have dinner with his friends. He spent a tremendous amount of money at the restaurant.”
When asked by The Real Deal why Carroll didn’t leave the restaurant after allegedly being threatened with extortion, Goldberg said “Patrick is the bigger man both literally and figuratively. He wanted to end the night there to enjoy it with his friends and his attorney.”
Weill’s response
Weill denied the accusation of extortion and claimed he only responded to Weill’s threat of physical violence.
“I told him, ‘You can feel free to do what you want. At the end of the day, I’m going to come out winning because you have more to lose than I do,’” he said.
Weill also claimed that he was forced to intervene due to Carroll’s aggressive pursuit of the female diner.
“First, he went up to the table and started talking to the girl like the guy she was with wasn’t there,” Weill told the publication. “After that, he got up to go to the bathroom when she went to the bathroom. He stopped her as she is coming out so I told him that I would appreciate it if he could respect other guests’ space.”
Goldberg said he could not answer why Carroll repeatedly attempted to talk to the woman.
“I will talk to Patrick, but he is not going to respond to that,” he told the publication. “It is a level of salaciousness that is not worthy of The Real Deal.”
An apology ‘too little too late’
After the incident, Weill told The Real Deal he received a note of apology and flowers from Carroll.
“Dearest Miguel, Words cannot describe my condolences for my behavior,” the note reads. “It was out of line and out of my character. I hope you understand what I said, I did not mean. You didn’t deserve that treatment. Respectfully, Pat Carroll.”
But Weill said it’s too little too late.
“I don’t care about his apology,” Weill added. “He knew what he was doing was completely wrong and unacceptable.”
