The Kitchen Consigliere, the mob-themed Collingswood restaurant built by former Philadelphia crime family associate Angelo Lutz, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection with more than $386,000 in reported debts tied to the business. The filing lists 46 creditors, including the New Jersey Division of Taxation, which claims the restaurant owes $102,000 in unpaid taxes.
Lutz filed the petition in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New Jersey, according to NJ.com. Federal court records reviewed by PACER Monitor show Kitchen Consigliere Cafe, LLC formally filed its voluntary Chapter 11 petition on September 2 under Case No. 1:26-bk-20029, listing estimated assets between $0 and $50,000 against estimated liabilities between $100,001 and $500,000. Daniel Reinganum, the attorney handling the case, told NJ.com that the Kitchen Consigliere is open and will remain open, and he sought judicial approval for the restaurant to continue accepting gift cards.
What the Debt List Reveals
Court filings submitted with the petition identify the restaurant’s largest unsecured trade creditors as regional food suppliers S & M Provisions, Inc., E. Frank Hopkins Co., Inc., and Bierig Brothers, Inc., along with local contractor Almand Brothers Concrete LLC, according to WhatNow. The filing lists these creditors among the business’s non-tax liabilities, per the same filing. Reinganum said the bankruptcy process is designed to allow a business to continue operating while addressing problems with creditors.
The state tax debt could prove the trickier obstacle. Under New Jersey tax administration laws and federal bankruptcy regulations, state tax debts like the $102,000 claimed by the Division of Taxation hold statutory priority or lien status, meaning debtors in Chapter 11 reorganizations must satisfy state tax claims in full through court-approved payment schedules, according to Tax Relief NJ. It remains an open question whether the restaurant can negotiate a viable repayment plan while keeping its doors open.
From Federal Prison to South Jersey’s Mob-Themed Dining Room
Lutz was an associate for the Philadelphia crime family led by Joseph “Skinny Joey” Merlino and was convicted of racketeering charges in 2001. Federal prosecutors convicted Lutz alongside Merlino and five co-defendants on racketeering, illegal gambling, and extortion charges that year, and U.S. District Judge Herbert Hutton sentenced Lutz to nine years in federal prison, according to court records cited by Wikipedia. Lutz ultimately served nearly seven years behind bars…