Syracuse, N.Y. -- The owner of Peppino’s Neapolitan Express, Honey Cafe and Peppino’s Pizzeria has paid more than $184,000 in back wages and damages to settle allegations that the restaurants violated federal minimum wage and overtime rules.

GV Foods Inc. paid $92,007 in back wages and an equal amount in damages to 103 current and former employees of the three Syracuse-area restaurants after an investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division found violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the department said Monday. The department identified the owner of GV Foods as John Vigliotti.

The violations occurred from July 24, 2016, to July 24, 2018, according to the department. The department said investigators determined the employer:

Violated minimum wage law by requiring delivery drivers to contribute to a tip pool that included non-tipped employees such as cooks and managers.

Violated overtime requirements by paying employees straight-time rates, in cash, when they worked more than 40 hours in a workweek.

Committed additional violations by failing to combine the hours employees worked across multiple locations within a workweek when determining whether overtime was due. Instead, the employer paid employees for the hours they worked at each location separately, without regard to whether the total exceeded 40 hours.

Further violated overtime requirements by failing to pay a salaried manager his guaranteed full salary when he worked fewer than 40 hours in a workweek.

Failed to display a required minimum wage poster.

“Other employers should use the resolution of this case as an opportunity to review their own pay practices,” said John Steves, wage and hour assistant district director for the Department of Labor. “The U.S. Department of Labor provides numerous tools to help employers comply with the law, and we encourage employers and employees alike to contact the Wage and Hour Division for assistance.”

The owner of Peppino's Neapolitan restaurant at 409 S. Clinton St. in Syracuse's Armory Square paid $184,000 to settle federal minimum wage and overtime pay violations. (Rick Moriarty | rmoriarty@syracuse.com)Rick Moriarty

Syracuse.com has reached out to Vigliotti for comment and will update this story if we hear back from him.

Vigliotti announced last year that the state Department of Agriculture and Markets had awarded his Peppino’s Restaurant and Catering Group a five-year contract to provide food and beverages at events at the newly built Exposition Center at the State Fairgrounds.

Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Have a question or news tip? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook | 315-470-3148