Melville, NY – Exclusive Kosher Caterer Accused Of Serving Non-Kosher Food

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    Melville, NY – The chef and general manager of a large Long Island based kosher catering company have filed court papers charging the owner with serving non-kosher food at kosher affairs for the past sixteen months.

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    Long Island based newspaper Newsday is reporting that, General manager Tom Cataldo and Chef Michael Savitsky allege that Scott Morrell, CEO and owner of Morrell Caterers which bills itself as a luxury kosher catering firm, has been preparing, serving, storing and transporting kosher and non-kosher food in the same kitchen and with the same utensils.

    The pair estimate that despite charging premium prices for kosher food, all food served by Morrell at approximately two hundred events during that time period was contaminated. According to reports on WCBS news, Morrell also billed his clients for high-end liquors while pouring lower priced liquor into the premium bottles. According to the company’s web site Morrell caters at Temple Israel in Lawrence, Temple Beth Torah in Melville and Woodbury Jewish Center in Woodbury.

    According to Cataldo and Savitsky, Morrell began catering non-kosher events when business slowed down and prepared food for those affairs, including pork and shellfish, in the same kitchens he used for his kosher catering. The two say filed the lawsuit after Morrell allegedly refused their requests not to prepare non-kosher food in the kosher kitchens.

    “Everything was tainted,” said Cataldo. “Next to the kosher meat you would have a bucket of raw shrimp.”

    It is unclear what type of kashrus supervision was employed by Morrell Caterers. Office staff at the facility’s main office told VIN News that that information was not readily available and owner Scott Morrell was unavailable for comment.

    Morrell’s lawyer called the allegations fictitious and said that the pair were manipulated into bringing the lawsuit by a third party in retaliation for a bad investment he had made with Morrell. Morrell further alleged that the non-kosher catering was initiated by Savitsky and Cataldo.

    State Supreme Court Justice Stephen Bucaria signed a temporary restraining order in Nassau County Supreme Court in Mineola on Tuesday, barring Morrell from disposing of any company property, including assets or records, until a decision is reached in the case.


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    68 Comments
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    12 years ago

    including pork and shellfish Feh!

    12 years ago

    He should be made to kasher the kitchen and toivel a new set of dishes and hire a good chassidshe mashgiach before being allowed to cater events at orthodox shuls and at orthodox simchas. If true, his actions are contrary to halacha and would upset the baalei simcha who hired him for their parties. If you were a choson/kallah, how would you feel if you just discovered that all your guests at the kiddushim were fed treifus.

    destro613
    destro613
    12 years ago

    who give the hashgocha

    FangUnFunUnfang
    FangUnFunUnfang
    12 years ago

    To #2
    Why would you think his actions are contrary to halacha, and that people might get upset?

    sasregener
    sasregener
    12 years ago

    did he have a hechsher to begin with. looks like no

    12 years ago

    You think they discovered this just yesterday?

    Nonsense.

    They just decided to go public.

    Is there Hashgacha? No.

    I once worked as a Mashgiach at one of these places. I came in at 6 AM to kasher and they told me, “Rabbi, we kosherized everything last night.”

    I told them, “Great. You got practice because we’re going to do it all again now in front of me.”

    They didn’t try to pull anything like that again.

    PS. And I hate to say this… but the non-Jews always gave me the most respect and did what I asked. It was the Yidden who were always trying to cheat and get away with things.

    The next time you go to an affair, ask to speak to the Mashgiach and thank him for his services. I assure you he is not being over paid and he works hard for his money.

    jakyw
    jakyw
    12 years ago

    Does anyone know under who’s hashgacha this ferd was?

    Nebech
    Nebech
    12 years ago

    Who said the chef and general manager are telling the truth?

    janda3
    janda3
    12 years ago

    he should also refund all the money he took from those catering events that were effected by this heinous act of his! it’s almost like that incident in Monsey of the Glatt kosher butcher that was found to be selling treif meat. the pig should be put in jail & left to rot!

    12 years ago

    Video cameras needed for kosher supervision.

    shazmar
    shazmar
    12 years ago

    It’s reform we’re dealing with here. They were probably catering for gay weddings anyway… What’s new?

    BT-Yossi
    BT-Yossi
    12 years ago

    I read the caterer’s website. There is no mention of Kashrus or supervision or Rabbi’s at all. Possibly not even really kosher…

    Anon Ibid Opcit
    Anon Ibid Opcit
    12 years ago

    Sounds like someone is going to be shaken down so hard his teeth rattle. And good on that. This was long-term fraud.

    BaruchGershom
    BaruchGershom
    12 years ago

    It looks like he catered out of Conservative synagogues with no rabbinic supervision. This is why reliable Orthodox organizations require that their mashgichim — and not the owner or manager — have exclusive access to the keys to the kitchen and fridge. Also my vaad does not give hashgacha to companies that have non-kosher businesses, with the exception of hotels. In that case, all of the kelim are locked away in a cage or closet to which only the Vaad has the keys.

    ari
    ari
    12 years ago

    #2
    “Would upset the baalei simchah”??? Are you completely Mad!! He served shellfish and pork to kosher observant customers!!! He should not only not be given a licence again but go on trial and put in prison and pay millions in compensation. Do you honestly believe that Morell should be allowed near kosher food again if he simply kashers his utensils and toivel new vessels and hire a chassidisher mashgiach this makes all better??? The man is a dispicable excuse for a jew if he is indeed jewish and the damage he has caused is irreperable, not to mention the mental anguish this will cause his unfortunate and unwitting victims. G-D HELP HIM AND HE WILL BURN iN GEHiNNOM WITH THAT OTHER MAMZER FROM MONSEY!

    MonseyMan
    MonseyMan
    12 years ago

    its hard to find because of the coloring. selected from the bottom of the first page

    Long Island Kosher Caterers © copyright 2008-2012
    Onsite and off premise kosher caterers on Long Island for weddings, bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, corporate events, special affairs, anniversary parties, engagement parties, and simchas such as a bris or baby naming etc. Our kosher caterers proudly serve Long Island (including Nassau County and Suffolk County), New York City (NYC), Westchester, New Jersey and Connecticut. Glatt Kosher Available. Onsite kosher catering for Temple Israel Lawrence, Woodbury Jewish Center, and Temple Beth Torah Melville, or at your corporate, offsite or wedding venue of choice.

    ExpatriateOwl
    ExpatriateOwl
    12 years ago

    In 2006, the hashgacha of their Woodbury operation went from Star-K to Vaad of Flatbush. http://www.kashrut.com/Alerts/?alert=A1767 .

    But now, it seems that the Flatbush Vaad is denying having ever had anything to do with them.

    Mandel
    Mandel
    12 years ago

    so there are many Finkels of monsey copycats….

    12 years ago

    Most of these places are Conservative and the “rabbi” is usually in charge of the kitchen.

    They get paid a fee for doing weddings and they never have a clue as to what’s going on.

    Very few of their baale batim care about kashrut but some do.

    It’s a shame.

    Shaul in Monsey
    Shaul in Monsey
    12 years ago

    How do you know Finkel didn’t do teshuva? Like, seriously, if you can come on this blog this many years later and still burn from hate, you have mental problems as bad as FInkel did. Get over it. A yid committed a sin, is that news? Still years later you’re all tzibrent? Take a pill 24.

    12 years ago

    Let’s all calm down and take a deep breath… We are all so quick to accuse. It’s disgusting how one article on this site can destroy someone’s parnassah….. He definitely didn’t sell shellfish or pork, as those items would have been found out in a millisecond… they taste different. There are too many who know how it tastes.. He is not even accused of serving shellfish and pork.. I am in the meat business. I have sold to morell kosher meats many times.. He has a mashgiach Temidi there right when you walk in. The Mashgiach signed all the invoices. He was under the Va’ad of Flatbush last i heard. He always had a mashgiach on premises. I doubt any of the allegations are true… It is very likely that all these allegations are false. The liquor may be true, who knows. It would have been impossible for him to be using treif meat, as far as i see it. It’s all Lashon Hora… Probably Motzi Shem Rah…..Seems like an internal fight to me between the chefs and the owner..

    12 years ago

    Nothing’s to be taken for granted anymore (actually should never have been). Every individual attending a simcha and planning to stay for dinner should look into the whole kashrus shpiel and determine whether it meets with his or her individual standard. Can’t be bothered? No problem; eat at home. You’ll never suffer ‘heartburn’ over having consumed a questionable caterer’s non-kosher cuisine.

    Butterfly
    Butterfly
    12 years ago

    To #2 I agree with you. He should replace all the dishes and silverware, the pots depending what they are made of, should be kashered or replaced. The dishwashers will probably have to be replaced and all of of its parts. Then they can sue for damages, due to loss of time and income because the shul will not be able to use the facilities. A good lawyer can handle this case!!

    Yitzie
    Yitzie
    12 years ago

    #24 ….Just curious…Where does it say that he served shellfish and pork? Not of course that Im siding with this company by ANY stretch of the imagination. Yes, he deserves to be run out of business, out of town, and thrown in jail for fraud, misrepresentation, grand theft, among many others Im sure and forced to pay restitution to the hosts of those affairs. And yes, many times, the most ardent followers of Kashrut in hotels, and catering facilities, typically are NON-Jews…

    Just my $0.02

    my4amos
    my4amos
    12 years ago

    “Morrell caters at Temple Israel in Lawrence, Temple Beth Torah in Melville and Woodbury Jewish Center in Woodbury.”

    Definitely some deformed out fit. Men, what did you expect from them?

    DanielBarbaz
    DanielBarbaz
    12 years ago

    I have eaten in one of these places. The food was not that good. I am confident that it was strictly kosher lemehadrin.

    12 years ago

    He was under the Vaad of Flatbush in one place & under the Star-k in another place. the 3rd place? don’t know

    Babishka
    Member
    Babishka
    12 years ago

    I don’t know what is wrong with you people. Because some Jews belong to a non-Orthodox congregation, does that mean they SHOULD NOT BE allowed to eat kosher if they requested it and they are paying for it? What this business did was FRAUD.

    Halaivy
    Halaivy
    12 years ago

    Interesting how most posters defend them while when a Charedi is accused you have a lynch mob against him

    somekid
    somekid
    12 years ago

    Wow! so after reading 57 posts i think i have an accurate picture of what happened. some establishment with a lousy hashgacha was just found out for what it is- a lousy hashgacha. this is not saying that i dont think every yid shouldnt get the highest standard of kashrus. its just you were never able to hold of the hashgacha in any place. if someone was convereted by a Reform temple, no one would think its a kosher conversion either! Halevai should us yidden get so riled up on other issues, such as Lashon Hara. when someone takes a “bite” of lashon hara they transgress on many more issurim than one would get for eating treif. hint all those posts with lashon hara the aveiros get multiplied by all who read them

    frater
    frater
    12 years ago

    My mom worked in a Jewish restaurant years ago. The owner was an elderly Jewish lady. Once, my mom noticed that the meat they were using for stuffing had some pork mixed in it. She spoke to the owner who responded that it doesn’t matter because the clients won’t know 😉

    Respect
    Respect
    12 years ago

    I am FFB and the child of baalie tshuva. Almost all of our relatives had “kosher” affairs without supervision or without a reliable mashgiach (the supervisor was often not shomer kashrus). Whenever you go to a simcha in a place you haven’t been before and where the hosts are not strict on kashrus, it’s important to meet the mashgiach. This is common practice in EY.

    It is very common for catering halls and hotels to offer both kosher and non-kosher options. I many cases the mashgiach will bring in a team and kasher everything before every kosher simcha. Separate kitchens are not needed, but a valid mashgiach is. It is the responsibility of the shomer mitzvos to do his own research.

    mrsmaytag99
    mrsmaytag99
    12 years ago

    To be honest we had a Glatt Kosher Wedding there 2 1/2 yrs ago and it was pleasant (though expensive) to deal with Scott Morrell to plan the affair. Everything was catered by Scott and the Mashgiach was the Vaad of Flatbush. You people can make all the comments you wish to make but the truth is something that is being concealed here. Surest way to sue is to claim treif and we all jump to dumb conclusions. The Vaad stated very clear to us that they had never had a problem with Scott Morrell. Thus the sense of trust then and the sense of trust now