Like many other local Greencastle businesses, Mama Nunz Italian Steakhouse is having a difficult time staying afloat this semester. Mama Nunz' situation, however is complicated by a slow financial recovery from an employee scam that wasn't resolved by Indiana courts until early November.
Mama Nunz and owner Nunzio Cancilla experienced a big financial hit earlier this school year when it was discovered that an employee of over two years had been scamming the restaurant. Cancilla said that it took him over three months to realize that Bambi Bicknell was stealing from the business between May and June of last year.
"I'm just holding on by a hair," said Cancilla. "If it wasn't for rush last week, I would have gone under even more."
Mama Nunz, located just off the South end of campus, donates to various campus organizations like D3TV and often caters events for greek chapters.
"We normally buy a large amount of food from [Mama Nunz] for bid night," said senior Stephen Shapiro, Phi Gamma Delta fraternity's vice recruitment chair. "Nunzio is always really happy to cater to us. He normally stays for a bit to talk to us and see how we're doing."
But according to Cancilla, regular student business has been down.
"I do get a few students, but not like I used to," he said.
Lately, Cancilla said there's not enough revenue coming in to take care of everything.
"Taxes are first," Cancilla said, "then employees get paid, then I take care of supplies, and then there's utilities. But it's getting really hard to do."
Senior Lauren McCormick eats at Mama Nunz with her boyfriend two to three times a week.
"Overall DePauw supports local business," McCormick said. "[But] I don't think they support enough to keep them going."
This year however, Mama Nunz is suffering from two fronts.
Two court documents stamped by the Putnam County Circuit Court cite Bicknell's offenses as theft in the amount of $5,815.55 and forgery of at least 20 checks.
According to Cancilla however, that number is not as high as it should be.
"I know [Bicknell] took me for about 20 grand," he said.
Cancillo said Bicknell got a hold of personal checks and wrote them out to herself by forging the signature of his mother, Jo Ruth Cancilla, who also has signing rights with the business. Additionally, he said Bicknell stole money from the cash drawer during shifts and used Cancilla's e-signature to get loans on cash advance websites.
"She had it down pretty well," said Cancilla. "She knew I wasn't good at office work so she offered to help do it and I paid her a little more."
A letter dated Nov. 8th from Greencastle's Office of the Prosecuting Attorney addressed to Cancilla states that the Indiana Department of Corrections has since sentenced Bicknell to three years in prison, five years of probation, and to pay a restitution fine to Mama Nunz.
However, in addition to stealing from the business, Cancilla said that Bicknell stole from customers.
"She was double swiping credit cards," Cancilla said. "But I've since paid most of them back."
Waitress Brittany Schmitz said she was suspicious of Bicknell during their time working at Mama Nunz together.
"I kind of thought she was [stealing] all along but nobody believed me," Schmitz said.
When Cancilla started realizing that money was going missing, he said he was hesitant to suspect Bicknell.
"I didn't believe she was doing it because I was trying to help her get her kid back," Cancilla said. "I give too many second chances."
Now, Mama Nunz is only able to staff one or two employees per shift.
"Because of this, I'm down to four people," said Cancilla. "There used to be 14 people working here."
During most shifts, one employee cooks and the other serves. This situation leaves no one available to make deliveries. Cancilla said deliveries will start again when the restaurant "gets back on its feet."
In response to Bicknell's crimes, Cancilla has been taking steps to make customers feel more comfortable at Mama Nunz.
"I moved the credit card machine out here," he said pointing to the public dining area. "In case [customers] want to swipe it themselves." The new location ultimately increases customer surveillance, allowing customers watch servers process credit cards.
Cancilla said, "It's probably going to take a year or more to recover though."