A Lark Street goddess statue knocked down for second time - Times Union

ALBANY — A Roman goddess statue that has stood in front of Ali Celik’s restaurants for 16 years is more than decoration. To the local chef, the six-foot concrete figure is family.

But the restaurateur’s prized possession has also become a target for vandalism in downtown Albany, where it sits in front of his two Lark Street restaurants, 288 Wine & Tap and Villa Di Como. In April, a passerby toppled the statue causing it significant damage. Now, just weeks after Celik restored it with the help of a local archeologist and celebrated its return to the Center Square neighborhood with a “rebirth ceremony,” a statue outside his businesses has once again been intentionally broken.

One of two statues of Roman goddesses in front of 288 Wine & Tap and Villa Di Como in Albany. One was toppled by a vandal and broke into multiple pieces on April 5, 2023, as is evident from white marks on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant's window. Another statue, possibly the same one, was damaged Friday, June 23, 2023.

Steve Barnes/Times Union

On Friday morning, Albany police responded to a report that a person intentionally tipped over a statue in front of 288 Lark Wine & Tap at around 1:30 a.m. and broke it. Officers were able to quickly identify the suspect as a 28-year-old man who was also involved in a separate incident of criminal mischief that occurred in April on Fourth Avenue, where he kicked the mirror off a parked car, according to authorities.

The suspect was taken into custody and arraigned Friday in Albany City Criminal Court.

The extent of the damage to the statue this time is not clear; the statue was not outside the restaurant Sunday morning. The restaurant has had two statues outside in the past; it was unclear Sunday morning if the statue damaged Friday is the same one that was vandalized in April.

Celik declined to comment on the most recent incident Sunday, but he previously called the vandalism not only an attack on him but also “an attack on the neighborhood,” where the Lake Como native has lived since 2002.  

The statue damaged in April originally stood in front of Mercato’s Pizzeria & Restaurant in Delmar when Celik bought it and remained a front-door sentinel for 13 years until Mercato’s was sold. It was then moved to 288 and 286 Lark St., where 288 Wine & Tap opened in 2019, followed by Villa di Como a year later.

Early last month, Celik announced his decision to sell both restaurants, as well as their historic buildings, for $1.39 million each. He said the vandalism was not a contributing factor in listing the properties and that it was instead the first step in scaling up his brand’s line of liqueurs and sauces. Once the sale goes through, Celik, who has a farm distillery license, plans on purchasing a farm in the Capital Region to use for manufacturing the products. 

The restaurants will operate as normal until a sale goes through, but it’s unclear whether the statue will make its return to Lark Street.

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2023-06-25 15:38:18Z
CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnRpbWVzdW5pb24uY29tL2J1c2luZXNzL2FydGljbGUvbGFyay1zdHJlZXQtZ29kZGVzcy1zdGF0dWUta25vY2tlZC1zZWNvbmQtdGltZS0xODE2OTcyMS5waHDSAQA

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