Neighbor Sues Bobby’s Department Store, Accuses Manager Of Allegedly Breaking Her Jaw

A neighbor filed a lawsuit against Bobby’s Department Store this week, charging that a manager allegedly broke the jaw of Lucky Michaels, an activist well known in the city’s transgender community, during an assault outside the Church Avenue store last summer.

According to the lawsuit filed with the state Supreme Court on Monday, July 6, Lucky bought an air conditioner at the department store located at 1628 Church Avenue in July of 2014. Upon leaving the store, the manager, Lionet Drob, allegedly “flew into a rage” after he asked to see her receipt and Lucky told him that it was tucked in her back pocket and that he could retrieve it himself, as she was carrying the heavy unit, Lucky’s attorney, John Lonuzzi of the firm Lonuzzi & Woodland, told the New York Post.

The neighbor proceeded to carry the air conditioner for about a block and a half when she was allegedly approached by an unnamed Bobby’s employee who, “without cause or justification knocked the air conditioner out of” Lucky’s hands “and detained her against her will,” stated the lawsuit.

Immediately after that, the manager arrived and allegedly began punching Lucky, breaking her jaw, the suit said. Additionally, he allegedly threw the air conditioner at her, hitting her ankle, and throughout the entire encounter, both the manager and the other employee allegedly shouted obscenities at Lucky according to the lawsuit.

“She feels that she was abused due to her flamboyant appearance,” attorney John Lonuzzi told the Post.

Lucky, the manager and the other employee stayed at the scene until the police arrived, and the manager was charged with misdemeanor assault, the Post reported. Lucky was not arrested.

When we reached out to Bobby’s several times today, they told us no one was available to speak with us about it, but a man who identified himself as the owner refuted Lucky’s story in the Post.

“They asked him for the receipt and he didn’t show it, he just kept on walking and that’s why they followed him,” the owner told the newspaper. “They didn’t do anything out of line, I don’t think.”