Updated ,first published
The man who allegedly flashed an imitation pistol at the Entertainment Quarter, triggering a massive police operation, has claimed the fake firearm was part of a costume for a “heroes v villains” themed bowling party.
Jacopo Mastrocinque, a 35-year-old Italian restaurant manager, was swarmed by heavily armed tactical officers outside the Strike Bowling venue near Moore Park on Monday afternoon. His lawyers say the alarm was raised after he left the venue for a cigarette.
Mastrocinque allegedly wore a ballistic vest with the US flag on the front, and carried a police badge and plastic handcuffs. A cardboard box marked “hard drugs” was also seized.
A 39-year-old man who lives with Mastrocinque in their Mascot residence was also arrested and charged with drug possession after being searched by police.
Mastrocinque appeared in bail court on Tuesday wearing an army-style jacket – the same that was wrapped around his hips when he was arrested – and told the judge he was at a “staff party from the restaurant that I work with”.
“You can ask everyone who was there,” he said as his hearing was being adjourned. “My manager, my general manager, you can ask them.”
Solicitor Cassy Giudice told the court Mastrocinque had bought the items at a costume shop in Mascot and had been partying for more than three hours before the incident.
“He went outside for a cigarette, had [a] pistol pointed [at him] by police, has been arrested and is in custody overnight,” Giudice said.
“The way Mr Mastrocinque has relayed the events to me, he’s in tears, at a loss to understand what’s happened here.”
The police prosecutor told the court Mastrocinque had chosen to dress as a “hero” for the costume party. A man told officers on the scene that he was attending the party, the prosecutor informed the court.
The manager of the bowling venue confirmed to police that the dress-up party had taken place. They said guests wore various costumes, including some dressed as ghosts, superheroes and Pokémon.
Barrister Wali Shukoor, who appeared for Mastrocinque on Tuesday afternoon, conceding his client made a “very poor and foolish decision to attend the event the way he did”, but argued his otherwise perfect record supported his release.
Judge Daniel Covington granted Mastrocinque bail on the condition that he move to his partner’s North Ryde address, doesn’t enter the Entertainment Quarter, and surrenders his passport. His matter will next be heard on August 18 at the Downing Centre.
Footage posted to social media showed dozens of officers, including police in tactical gear, near restaurants on Brent Street where the arrest took place.
Mastrocinque has served across the Sydney hospitality scene since arriving in Australia in 2014. The permanent resident managed the Bel & Brio Italian restaurant in Barangaroo before its 2022 closure, co-founded catering business The Italian Fellas, and now operates a pizza shop.
He was interviewed by the Herald in November 2021 about the challenges of returning to business at Bel & Brio after the COVID lockdowns, when he said a “lazy mindset” from hospitality workers had dampened the success of the venue’s reopening.
He appeared in a 2024 documentary titled Covid Safe Domestic Violence by the State in which “owners of small Sydney businesses explain how they had their livelihoods stripped away from them” during the lockdowns, according to IMDb. He was credited as a small business manager in the film.
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Daniel Lo Surdo is a breaking news reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald. He previously helmed the national news live blog for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.Connect via email.
Jack Gramenz is a breaking news reporter at The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via email.From our partners
