Manager of Hampton Bays Canoe Place Inn claims he was discriminated against for being gay

The manager of the historic Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays claims his bosses demoted him for being gay, discriminated against him and his partner and retaliated against him for complaining about it, according to a new $6 million lawsuit.

Adrian Albino, 48, who started working for celebrity restaurateur Danny Meyer’s Tacocina restaurant in April 2022, said his career was on an upward trajectory at Union Square Events, once a subsidiary of Union Square Hospitality Group, which was founded by Meyer, according to the suit filed Sept. 16 in Manhattan Supreme Civil Court.

By November, he was promoted to general manager of Summit, the restaurant atop the new office tower 1 Vanderbilt next to Grand Central Terminal, he said in the suit.

Bonuses, praise and promotions kept coming, he said, and by March 2025, he became the director of operations for Union Square Events, overseeing Summit, Westmoreland at the Frick Collection, the nightclub Moss, Conrad New York Downtown Hotel and Canoe Place Inn.

Albino’s meteoric rise in Union Square Events came to a halt soon after the company hired a new general manager, David Hirsch, the suit said.

"Very soon after meeting Albino, Hirsch began interrogating him in a public setting, asking many questions about his personal life and his relationship," according to the complaint. "Hirsch inquired if Albino was married and expressed surprise when Albino said he was gay and had a male partner, Jason Feldman."

Feeling uneasy about the line of questioning, Albino said he reported it to his superiors, who agreed it was inappropriate. It was after that, he said, that the president of Union Square Events, Anthony Mastellone, and Hirsch began "a campaign of retaliation" against Albino.

Albino said he was frozen out of decision-making, and information he needed for his job was withheld from him. He also claims his bosses went around him to his subordinates and told them not to discuss important business matters with him, the suit said.

As Albino searched for a general manager for the historic Hampton Bays spot, which once hosted celebrities like Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Cary Grant during its heyday, he said his responsibilities were being taken away from him.

Finally in June, Hirsch told him that he was being assigned as the general manager of the venue, despite the fact that he lives 90 miles away in Manhattan, according to court papers.

Nonetheless, Albino said he moved out to Canoe Place Inn and began overseeing the business, which he said was understaffed.

His partner came out to see him a few times, staying with him in the hotel, as other employees had done, he said.

In July, Albino said director of human resources Ryan Mills took him aside and told him that Hirsch and Mastellone did not want his partner staying with him anymore, saying only that it was not a "good look."

"Both Albino and Feldman felt angry and humiliated by what had transpired," the suit said. "Feldman immediately returned to his room, packed his bags and took the train back to Manhattan."

A spokeswoman for Union Square Hospitality Group said that although the companies share a logo and are linked on their websites, they have been separate companies since 2023.

"We are two separate entities with the same logo, given our shared heritage and former relationship," spokeswoman Katie Reisert said. She did not comment on the suit.

Compass Group, which owns a share of Union Square Events, did not respond to requests for comment. Hirsch and Mastellone could not be reached for comment.

The owners of the property said that they were unaware of Albino's allegations, but vowed to look into it.

"The ownership of Canoe Place Inn has just learned of allegations made against Union Square Events, the food and beverage service provider to the property by their employee," according to an email statement sent by spokesman David Chauvin.

"To be clear, the ownership of Canoe Place Inn has zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind and will look into these allegations immediately. We intend to take all steps possible to ensure that discrimination does not occur at its property. Canoe Place Inn will continue to be a destination of inclusion, respect, and dignity for all," the email said. 

Albino said the company claimed to have launched an investigation into the matter, but he was never informed of its outcome.

Mastellone later denied that Feldman had ever been banned from the inn, the suit said.

Albino's suit claims the defendants committed various violations of New York human rights laws barring discrimination based on sexual orientation, saying that he suffered "loss of employment opportunities, emotional pain, suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life and damage to reputation and career."

He is asking a state judge to issue a ruling that the company "may no longer bar LGBT people from the premises of Canoe Place Inn or any other properties it manages."

Albino also is asking for $1 million in compensatory damages, $5 million in punitive damages, lawyer fees and other costs.