Italian government demands restaurant change its name or close
By Imogen Calderwood
AN Italian appeal to have Spanish crime-inspired restaurant chain Mafia change its name has been thrown out.
The Italian government lodged the request for the restaurant to either be forced to change its name or be closed down.
But Spanish authorities insist that the word ‘mafia’ is so common now that it doesn’t specifically relate to the Italian mob.
The firm’s public relations manager Pablo Martinez said: “The word mafia is a brand that is immediately recognised, it’s a call to attention and everyone remembers it.
“We apologise to those Italians who feel offended but that’s not our intention”