New York State officials announced on Tuesday that they had shut down the Arthur Avenue Bakery ? a Bronx institution celebrated for its cannoli and crusty bread ? because of what they called widespread violations of minimum wage, overtime and workers? compensation laws. M. Patricia Smith, the state labor commissioner, said that new employees were often forced to work their first week without pay. She said that paychecks often bounced and that some workers complained about not being paid for 5 to 10 weeks. ?This is the first time I remember that we went in with the object of closing a business down,? Ms. Smith said in a telephone interview. ?The employer was so abusive that we actually made the determination that it would be better for workers to lose their jobs than to continue working there.?
See "Famed Bronx Bakery Is Told to Halt Work Over Pay Abuse Claims", Steven Greenhouse, The New York Times, April 8, 2008