Diners at a well-known restaurant in Ponza, Italy, witnessed an incredible scene due to a €923 bill for a four-person meal featuring lobster. Last week, a group of young tourists, likely Americans, accompanied by an Italian woman, stole a live lobster weighing approximately 5 kilograms from the aquarium at Il Rifugio dei Naviganti restaurant.
According to restaurant owner Mario Coppa, who spoke to La Repubblica, it’s unclear whether they wanted to eat it or set it free. Passersby alerted him to the theft, and he began chasing the young people.
Once they were spotted, a fierce fight broke out between Coppa, the alleged perpetrators, and some bystanders. In his complaint filed the next day, the restaurateur said he was grabbed from behind and kicked by people speaking English. He admitted that while trying to defend himself, he threw a chair, accidentally injuring a young man who was trying to help him. The dining room manager was injured even more seriously and was airlifted to the hospital for examination.
The lobster survived the brawl
It’s worth noting that the lobster survived the altercation. “It was still alive when we recovered it. So instead of putting it back in the aquarium, we decided to release it,” Coppa said.
