‘Crooked, evil’ NYC caterer says he’s a ‘protected class’ — because he’s Sicilian

A Staten Island catering kingpin who allegedly ran a massive drug operation that turned addicts into virtual slaves whined in a hand-written, jailhouse lawsuit that he should receive extra consideration in the civil case because he’s Sicilian. Acting as his own lawyer, Ettore Mazzei — who was once described as a “crooked, evil businessman” — claimed in a March 20 Brooklyn Federal Court filing that he is “part of a protected class: senior, Sicilian, pro-se, incarcerated.” Mazzei, 63, has been behind bars since his May 2024 arrest on a 61-count indictment that included drug sale, grand larceny and identity theft charges.

In September 2024 he was hit with an additional 141 counts, said Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon, who has labeled Mazzei a “one man crime wave.” The case — in which authorities accused the longtime entrepreneur of tricking addicts into “servitude” to help run drugs — is ongoing. Mazzei allegedly gave employees housing on his properties and paid them in drugs, not cash, according to authorities who claim the caterer is linked to multiple fatal overdoses.

Mazzei, who ran Chez Vous Caterers and a construction business, was accused of selling heroin, cocaine and suboxone strips to undercover officers. He had been active in anti-drug initiatives on Staten Island in the years before his arrest, and was even recognized by the local chamber of commerce for his community work. Mazzei, who pleaded not guilty, published a book in 2014 called, “It’s Your Right to Be Fit, Sexed and Happy.”

Mazzei has been his own legal eagle at Rikers Island, where he’s being held on $3 million bail. He’s aired grievances against an array of foes via approximately half a dozen lawsuits he’s filed himself in state and federal court.

In the latest court papers, he accused a pair of lawyers and a Queens couple of refusing to repay a debt and demanded $450,000 damages, court papers showed. Mazzei alleged he was part of a “protected” group, citing a portion of federal law which is supposed to shield people from discrimination, particularly when making contracts. A criminal defense attorney for Mazzei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.