You'd think that Hawaiian Tropic Zone has its hands full right now with bad publicity stemming from the Melody Morales lawsuit.
Manhattan- A former manager at the Hawaiian Tropic Zone claims bosses at the midtown tourist trap showered her with cash so she wouldn't tell cops she was raped by a supervisor.
Giulietta Consalvo [pictured] says general manager Anthony Rakis drunkenly assaulted her in September 2006 in the backseat of a cab after a pre-opening night party.
Rakis was fired after Consalvo and others went to Manhattan prosecutors in April 2007 with claims of constant sexual harassment from bosses.
Before that, Consalvo said in papers filed in Manhattan Federal Court Wednesday that she was paid hush money to keep quiet about the rape.
"Because she essentially put up and shut up concerning Rakis' ongoing sexual harassment she received a $5,000 bonus and a $10,000 raise, clearly job benefits," Consalvo attorney Martha McBrayer wrote.
It was the latest salvo in an ongoing court battle involving some of the restaurant's bikini-clad beauties.
This month, Hawaiian Tropic lawyers urged a judge to toss out Consalvo's claims because they say she never suffered any retaliation - such as loss of salary or job title - when she first made the allegations in December 2006.
Consalvo, 36, and three other ex-employees claim in a $600 million federal lawsuit that Hawaiian Tropic management fostered a sexually hostile envirnonment by allowing Rakis to rape and grope underlings.
Former bartender Michelle Hasiuk and ex-hostess Stephanie Cheng - a model known as Jada Cheng - claim Rakis pressured them to perform oral sex on him.
"The general manager repeatedly suggested that if Ms. Hasiuk cared about her career, it was in her best interest to submit to his sexual advances," McBrayer wrote.
Those who flirted with Rakis or engaged in sexual banter were rewarded with more hours and better pay, McBrayer says.
"Those who refused to submit were subjected to adverse employment actions," she added.
Hawaiian Tropic Zone lawyer Larry Hutcher denied Consalvo was paid to keep quiet.
"Whatever bonus and raise she [Consalvo] received was because she did a good job," Hutcher said. "There was never any quid pro quo retaliation."
