'Top Chef' Tussle: 4 Union Members Indicted In Shocking Intimidation Tactics Of Reality Show's Padma Lakshmi, Cast & Crew
Oct. 1 2015, Published 12:57 p.m. ET
Four Boston Teamsters linked to an incident with the Top Chef crew & host Padma Lakshmi, were named in an indictment linked to federal extortion charges Wednesday.
According to legal docs from the hearing at the Moakley federal courthouse, the Local 25 members -- Robert Cafarelli, John Fidler, Mark Harrington, and Daniel Redmond -- tried to heavy hand the camera crew into using their employees as drivers during an encounter at the Revere Hotel in June of 2014, while the show was set to film at Omni Parker House.
After producers for the program informed them that there were no jobs available -- as they had been awarded to non-union workers -- the Teamsters vowed to disrupt the proceedings and harass the crew by following them around and picketing in front of the venue, which subsequently canceled the TV taping.
Elsewhere in the indictment, the four men are accused of bumping them in the chest and stomach and using racial and homophobic remarks toward the crew and the Chennai, India-born host while they taped an episode at a local restaurant.
Deadline reported that they shouted at Lakshmi: "We're gonna bash that pretty face in, you f***ing wh*re!"
Union reps later called the report false, saying, "As a union, we have the right to lawfully demonstrate and protest the filming of non-union non-Massachusetts workers.
"We have fought long and hard to protect our members, their livelihoods and will continue to do so."
The men also are accused of slashing tires on cars the crew was using and vowing to physically harm them, court docs said.
The four Teamsters have pleaded not guilty to all of the charges in the controversial case.