Exclusive: Bonnie Slotnick's Harry Styles pop-up arrest case nears possible dismissal

Interview and photos by Stacie Joy 

East Village cookbook seller Bonnie Slotnick returned to court yesterday morning in connection with her September arrest outside her shop with a security guard from the Harry Styles-themed Together Together pop-up on Second Street. 

And while the case isn't officially over, she left feeling optimistic. 

Slotnick, 72, was arrested on Sept. 18 following a confrontation with a member of the pop-up's line-management team outside her longtime business. 

The dispute involved a bicycle-lock key that Slotnick acknowledged holding near the woman's face and neck. Among the four charges were one count of second-degree menacing and criminal possession of a weapon (a bike lock key). She spent roughly 12 hours in custody, first at the 9th Precinct and then at Manhattan Central Booking, with a stop at Bellevue Hospital after her blood pressure spiked. 

The incident followed weeks of complaints about the crowds and lines outside the merchandise shop at 22 E. Second St., between Second Avenue and the Bowery. (Background here.) 

Speaking exclusively with us after the court appearance, Slotnick said the complainant had not submitted a supporting deposition, leaving the case without the documentation needed to move forward.

"It was pretty much a non-event," she said. 

According to Slotnick, there's a 90-day window from the incident to file the necessary paperwork. If that deadline passes without the deposition, she said, the case could be dismissed. 

Slotnick said she doesn't know why the complainant has not submitted the paperwork. For now, she's hopeful the case will soon be behind her.

Her attorney explained the situation during a brief conversation outside the courtroom yesterday morning. They then appeared before the judge, who set the next court date for Jan. 11. Slotnick said her attorney may be able to handle that appearance without her, depending on the status of the case.

As for how she feels about the possible resolution?

"The resolution that sits on the edge of the cliff and is hanging. It's a hanging chad," she joked, referencing the disputed ballots from the 2000 presidential election. 

For now, she's happy to have some peace and quiet back on the block following Monday's departure of the Together Together Store, which drew large crowds of Harry Styles fans during its two-month run at 22 E. Second St. while the singer hosted a 30-night residency at the Garden.

"I'm glad to just have the block back," she said.

Slotnick also shared that Will Morgan of Glass Studios, which hosted the pop-up, stopped by her shop about three weeks ago to apologize. 

"He said he never imagined that ... it would be anything like that, and he would never do anything like that again," she recalled. She said Morgan told her he would rather make less money than host another event that disrupted the neighborhood.

Slotnick also confirmed that she was reimbursed for the damage to her bicycle tire. (Someone slashed her tire.) 

One unexpected bright spot in the ordeal was the support she received from friends and neighbors who submitted character references on her behalf. 

"Some of them cc'd me when they sent them in. It was like being at my own funeral," she said. "I hope these people are around to give my eulogy because they talked about things about my life that I haven't thought of for years ... nice things that I've done." 

She doesn't know whether the judge has read the letters, but she appreciated the outpouring of support.

And the bicycle key involved in the September arrest? 

"The key's always here because I'm always riding my bike," she said.

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• East Village business owners discuss life alongside the Harry Styles pop-up on 2nd Street 

• The Harry Styles pop-up shop wraps up its 2-month East Village run

East Village business owners discuss life alongside the Harry Styles pop-up on 2nd Street

Photos and interviews by Stacie Joy 

Photos from Tuesday, when the pop-up shop was closed

In the days since cookbook seller Bonnie Slotnick was arrested following a confrontation with a security worker outside the Harry Styles Together Together pop-up, several neighboring merchants on Second Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery have told EVG that the crowds and lines have created ongoing headaches for businesses along the block. 

Their experiences vary. Some described recurring problems with blocked storefronts and crowded sidewalks, while others said the pop-up staff has been courteous and responsive. 

Several merchants, however, agreed on one point: The large crowds haven't necessarily translated into additional business for their shops.

Adrian Rew, owner of Ergot Records, said the atmosphere on Second Street changes considerably from Wednesday through Sunday, when Together Together is open. 

"The line from the Harry Styles pop-up wraps around our block," he said. "It feels quite different here during those days. It's not peaceful." 

Early on, Rew said, the line extended directly across his storefront. After he approached the pop-up team, workers created a gap to provide access to Ergot. Keeping that space clear has required repeated reminders, he said, particularly as staff members managing the line have changed. 

"It has felt like the communication hasn't really been there," Rew said. "At a certain point you give up trying to introduce yourself to every new person you see. It just starts to become frustrating." 

Rew was not present for the confrontation that led to Slotnick's arrest. He said he later heard from a security worker that his neighbor had pulled a knife — a characterization Rew questioned after speaking with Slotnick, who told EVG last week that the object in her hand was a metal bicycle key.

"Which would have been pretty unlike Bonnie, in my experience of being Bonnie's neighbor," Rew said. "Bonnie gave me a housewarming gift when I moved in. She's the only person on the block to do that. I think she is a neighborhood person who cares about the people around her."

Rew said a representative from the pop-up visited his store after EVG's story was published to ask what organizers could do to improve conditions for businesses on the block. 

"Right after your story went up, a woman named Paula came by to talk to me," he said. "She asked what they could do to make things smooth for us on the block, and I told her they could start by not arresting one of my neighbors."

According to Rew, the representative responded that when someone pulls a weapon on a staff member, they have the right to call the police.

Rew said another representative stopped by a few days later and again asked what could be done to improve things for neighboring businesses.

"I just told her that someone had come by on Sunday and that I didn't have anything more to add," he said.

Nearby merchants Sandeep and Carson Salter, co-owners of Salter House, also described the queue as "fairly obtrusive," saying it has blocked the sidewalk, crowded their entrance and obscured storefronts that sit below street level. 

"We haven't had any altercations or conflict with the queue or security, but we feel Bonnie's frustration," they said in a joint statement. "Her cookbook store is a gem of the neighborhood, and a big reason we wanted to be here." 

They also said the crowds haven't brought the boost in business they expected.

"You would imagine a big line like this would boost local foot traffic, but surprisingly we've sold virtually nothing to the queuing crowd," they said. "It's impossible to know the direct impact, but we've noticed a little slump in sales since the pop-up opened. Nothing drastic, but we'll definitely be keeping a close eye on it over the coming month."

John Derian, whose business operates nearby at 6 E. Second St., offered a more mixed assessment. 

"The pop-up has been fine, the staff has been very nice, and they are doing their best," he told EVG. "But any pop-up line, or any line that blocks another business, is not great for business, and causes stress. So it's all tricky."

A staff member at John Derian added: "We love Bonnie and are sorry to hear what happened." 

Will Morgan, owner of Ideal Glass Studios, where the pop-up is taking place, said he regretted "the way it turned out for all concerned." 

Morgan, who was not present during the confrontation, questioned Slotnick's roughly six hours in police custody while acknowledging that he could not assess what happened between her and the security worker. (She spent 12 hours in custody between the 9th Precinct and Manhattan Central Booking, with a stop at Bellevue Hospital.) 

"To keep Ms. Slotnick in custody for some six hours seems over-reactive, but since I wasn't there, I can't honestly assess what went down," he said.

Morgan defended the event staff's crowd-control record at Ideal Glass and said he intends to speak with Slotnick. 

"I look forward to meeting with Ms. Slotnick and addressing her concerns," he said. "Harry Styles has an overwhelming appeal to his fans, but I doubt we will have such an enormous turnout for our future events." (Past events included a three-day merch pop-up for Rush during the band's MSG stint.)

EVG also spoke with a member of the Harry Styles management team, who declined to comment on the record. 

The Together Together pop-up is scheduled to continue through Nov. 1. 

For at least a few of them, the issue isn't the presence of Harry Styles fans so much as what happens when hundreds of them spend hours waiting outside businesses that are trying to conduct an ordinary day on Second Street. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Line tensions boil over: East Village bookseller Bonnie Slotnick arrested outside Harry Styles pop-up on 2nd Street 

• Checking in with Bonnie Slotnick after Friday's arrest outside the Harry Styles pop-up

Checking in with Bonnie Slotnick after Friday's arrest outside the Harry Styles pop-up

Photos and interview by Stacie Joy 

We stopped by Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks yesterday to check in with the longtime Second Street bookseller after Friday's altercation and arrest outside the Harry Styles pop-up a few buildings west on her block between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Slotnick was in good spirits — and busy with customers — after our Q&A about the incident was published over the weekend. 

She also showed us bruising on one arm that she said resulted from the altercation and marks on her other wrist that she attributed to the handcuffs used during her arrest.

So how do you feel now that the story is live? 

I'm really relieved to see, as much as I did read the comments, how supportive people are. I spoke to a friend last night, the person who just called me, and he said, "Bonnie, friends love you, your customers love you. This is not going to change the way they feel about you." And I said, "OK, I'm going to believe that." 

And other people I don't care that much about! I know there's this EV Grieve community, and I'm pretty much one of them. I read the comments all the time.

Has anyone from the Harry Styles pop-up next door come to talk to you? 

 

No. And there's no line here today. I don't know what they did with it. It was raining, but it wasn't raining hard enough to keep people away. 

The line is only on the other side of the street, and it's quite short. And I think I actually had a couple of Harry Styles people in here, a couple of the customers, because they were talking about it. Sometimes they have the shopping bag and sometimes they have the T-shirt, so I can identify if they were coming. 

I don't know, maybe I'm just so relieved that I'm in a very good mood relative to what I have been in for the last three weeks. 

Coming over here, riding my bike up in front of the shop, I was a little tense, and I saw that the line was not coming toward me. 

Previously on EV Grieve: 

• Line tensions boil over: East Village bookseller Bonnie Slotnick arrested outside Harry Styles pop-up on 2nd Street

• Line check at the 2 Harry Styles pop-up merch shops

Line tensions boil over: East Village bookseller Bonnie Slotnick arrested outside Harry Styles pop-up on 2nd Street

Photos and interview by Stacie Joy

East Village bookseller Bonnie Slotnick, 72, is speaking out after spending roughly 12 hours in custody following an altercation with the line-management team outside the Harry Styles pop-up on Second Street. [Update here]

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For nearly a month, Harry Styles fans have been making their way to the East Village, where a "Together, Together" merchandise pop-up opened Aug. 26 at 22 E. Second St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. 

The pop-up, scheduled to run through Nov. 1 during Styles' 30-show run at Madison Square Garden, has regularly drawn blocks-long lines of fans to the area.

On Friday afternoon, tensions over the crowds and line management escalated into an altercation involving longtime neighborhood bookseller Bonnie Slotnick. 

Slotnick, 72, who owns Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks on the block, was arrested following a confrontation with members of the pop-up's line-management team. She said she subsequently spent roughly 12 hours in custody between the 9th Precinct and Manhattan Central Booking, with a stop at Bellevue Hospital.

EVG spoke with Slotnick about what happened Friday and what she described as weeks of problems associated with managing the lines outside the pop-up. 

We also spoke with members of the security/line-management team, whose account of Friday's confrontation differs from Slotnick's, as well as another Second Street business owner who described ongoing issues with the lines. 

Before recounting what happened, Slotnick wanted to address how the incident — and her role in it — might be perceived.

I feel like what this story can turn into, or maybe is ... a crabby old lady getting really mad at young people. And I don't really need that to be my image any more than it already is.

I want to make sure that whatever information comes out about this doesn't damage my business. I don't want people to be afraid of me, and I don't want people to think that I'm crazy, or that I'm a Karen. 

So, I hope this will reveal how stressful it's been to have this going on, on my block, and for months.

What happened on Friday? Can you walk us through it? 

I got to work a few minutes before opening, and a security guard, plus two others, were standing right in front of my shop. 

She was standing, not for the first time, where I park my bike, which is attached to the railing of the building. And she wouldn't move. I asked her to move again. She threw her hands up and said, "I don't talk to you." 

Then I can't remember exactly how the name-calling started. She has told me in the past that I'm uncivil to her. I had just turned around from locking the Kryptonite lock on my bike, and I had that key in my hand. Just the key. The shank was maybe an inch long. I held it between my fingers, and I shoved it in her face — actually more like at her neck. 

And she grabbed my hand and left a big bruise on my wrist. Then she yelled, "Assault!" and yelled to the other two people to call the police. I grabbed her hand to get it off me. 

Afterward, I heard the police say that she had a bruise on her wrist, and they called an ambulance. I wasn't around for that. I went into my shop and started to get ready to open. Five minutes later, two cops were there, and 10 minutes later, four.

What happened when the police came into the shop? 

They asked me what happened, and I told them. I told them that the situation had been going on for weeks and it was very upsetting. It was nerve-wracking to have to deal with hundreds of people outside my store and these security people. They brought in a female officer, and she patted me down and handcuffed me. They said they were arresting me. 

And you were taken to the 9th Precinct?

Yes. They took my knapsack, took everything out of it, and vouched it. They put me in a cell. I was there from about 2 until after 6 p.m.

The officer in charge of me took all my cards and everything from my wallet and taped them to a piece of cardboard, like a school project. I guess they have to do that. They gave it back to me last night. It reminded me of something you would do if you needed extra credit in third grade. Each card was taped in a neat little row.

There was absolutely nothing in the cell. They took the handcuffs off, but I couldn't read anything, and I didn't have my watch. I basically walked in circles and did bodyweight calisthenics and stretches.

I also sang. I discovered that the acoustics are really good in there, especially under the HVAC unit. I sang "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" and "Big Rock Candy Mountain," which are like prison and depression songs.

The officer told me through the door what was going on, but the cell wall is covered with plexiglass, so it was hard to hear him. I didn't really understand that I was being taken to the Tombs afterward.

Then you were taken to Manhattan Central Booking?

They finally got the paperwork done, cuffed me, and put me back in the car. They cuff your hands behind your back, which isn't comfortable to begin with, but sitting in the car is really hard.

They took me down to the Tombs, and that is a really hellacious place. They stand you up against the wall while they check you in, then take you through a maze you could never find your way out of.

I had to walk on a floor that was being cleaned, so my shoes were wet, and then walk down two flights of stairs, cuffed, without being able to hold on to the banister. I have a kneecap that I broke two years ago and two big screws in my spine, so I was afraid I might fall.

Then they took me for a medical checkup, and my blood pressure was 188/69. They sent me to Bellevue. They took me in the police car, with lights and sirens, through the Feast of San Gennaro festival.

I was at the hospital for, I don't know, 45 minutes. I had taken my blood pressure medicine in the morning, so they couldn't give me more. I told them I was obviously in distress. By the time I left, my blood pressure had come down a little bit.

Then I went back to the Tombs, back through the same thing. I got searched a few more times, and at about 9:30 p.m. they put me in a cell with three other women.

I asked how long I would be there. What a stupid question! The guard said she had no idea. She did tell me that if I didn't get a docket number by midnight, because the court shuts down at 1, I probably wouldn't be processed that night and would have to stay until the morning.

I was sitting on a concrete bench on a concrete floor against a concrete wall.

At about a quarter to 1, I think, the guard called my name and took me upstairs. They cuff you to whatever piece of furniture you're near or sitting on, so they locked me to the bench.

Then they called me to speak to the Legal Aid lawyer, who comprehended the situation very quickly. Within a few minutes, they called me up in front of the judge, and someone read the charges.

What were you charged with? 

One count of menacing in the second degree.

What happened before the judge? 

The lawyer said it was outrageous that I hadn't been given a desk appearance ticket, which is what Officer Heaning originally told me he was going to try to do. It's basically a reservation for a future rendezvous with a judge. But then I was told that keys are considered a weapon.

The attorney said it was outrageous that I was taken to jail, especially given my high blood pressure and other ailments. He also said the charge made it sound like we were two neighbors having a dispute, rather than that I have a 29-year-established business and this woman is working for somebody who's completely outside the community.

The woman asked for an order of protection against me. The attorney asked the judge to deny that, which she did. And she gave me another court date in November.

I took pictures of the bruise on my arm, so we're equally injured. I'm going to make it clear that I was holding a key, that I didn't pull out a bunch of keys in order to kill this girl.

Then I went back, and my friends, thank God, were waiting for me, and we walked back to the shop. I rode my bike over to the Precinct to get my backpack and found out that when they take money you have on you and call it "safekeeping," they don't give it back to you. You have to go down to One Police Plaza and apply to get a check.

Luckily, it wasn't that much money, but I'll do that. That must be really hard for other people.

Are you represented by counsel? 

Yes. His name is McCarthy. He was from the Legal Aid Society and was appointed to represent me. I think he did a really good job, so I don't see any reason to look for somebody else. 

What's your plan going forward? 

I'm going to keep my big fat mouth shut, which is incredibly hard for me. 

What do you hope happens now? 

I want the whole thing to go away. I hope that when I come in tomorrow, it's not there. That's not realistic. I hope that the guy who owns the property, who's a guy from the neighborhood, Will Morgan, will do more investigation before he does anything like this again. 

I called him and spoke to someone on his staff. He apologized profusely and said they had no idea it would be like that. He was not aware that this pop-up would be so...

They're so sorry; they didn't intend it to be like this. These pop-up things are all over the city, but they're not for two and a half months. The line in front of my store is the American Express priority line. 

I know everybody on EV Grieve feels the same about the idiots who stand in line. I was trying to remember with some of my adult customers what we ever stood in line for. All I can remember standing in line for is going to the movies. Because if you didn't get a good place in line, you didn't get a good seat. Now everything is reserved in advance. 

Had there been problems between you and the line-management staff before Friday? 

The first day this thing appeared, the only thing I knew about it was that they had decorated the front of the building. I saw the woman who was painting. It was really kind of fun watching her paint. She was very nice. 

Then, a few days later, the lines started. 

As I've already said, I have a pretty nasty mouth, and I'm not in a good mood. And as I would walk by the line I would shout obscenities at them, and their guards didn't like that. They followed me.

One of the tall male guards said, "Don't do that." And I just yelled, "First Amendment! I can say whatever I want. I'm walking down the street. They don't even have to think that it's aimed at them if they don't want to."

This woman, Amanda, and a man named Manny came into the shop. They said, "OK, this is going to get more intense. Tomorrow is going to be the biggest day, and then after that it'll be over." 

Nobody ever told me that it was going until Nov. 1. Nobody ever told me anything, or told anybody else on the block, as far as I know. 

At some point, was your bicycle damaged? 

I had to get home to meet somebody at 5. I came out, got on my bike, and the front tire was completely flat. It had a three-inch slice in the side. I immediately thought it was probably not one of the girls waiting in line. I thought it was one of the staff. I called the property owner's office and told them about the tire, and they said they would pay for it. It cost me $89 to replace the tire, tube and labor. 

Did they? 

Not yet. I got a text from Amanda a few days later asking me to send a scan of the receipt so they could pay for the damage. 

After everything that's happened, what would make the situation better for you? 

It's a beautiful, quiet street with beautiful trees. I love my neighbors. Still, the best thing would be if it would just go away. They could put the whole line on the other side of the street, where there are no businesses. 

One last question: If Harry Styles came into the shop and apologized, would you accept it? 

I would be interested in receiving an apology. Yes. But it wouldn't make my day. It wouldn't make my life.

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H/T EVG reader Mike!

Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks opens tomorrow on East 2nd Street

The speciality shop opens tomorrow at 28 E. Second St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery. Jeremiah Moss, who first reported this yesterday over at Vanishing New York, also received a tour of the space. Check that out here.



Back in November, Jeremiah learned that the popular specialty store, which specializes in rare and out-of-print cookbooks, was getting rent-hiked out its 15-year-old Greenwich Village home.

Soon after this news broke, DNAinfo got word that a pair of siblings, Margo and Garth Johnston, reached out to Slotnick about a retail space available in their childhood home on East Second Street.

Previously on EV Grieve:
Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks makes the move to East 2nd Street

Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks makes the move to East 2nd Street

On Monday morning, workers packed up the contents of the Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks shop for the move from West 10th Street to her new home at 28 E. Second St. between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

In an email to friends/supporters of her longtime book shop, Slotnick provided move highlights and shared some photos...

The movers were incredible, as were my friends who helped.

Stay tuned for the reopening — I have a long way to go, as you'll see ...

And as always, thank you for your support and love!

Back in November, Jeremiah Moss first reported that the popular specialty store was not having the lease renewed for its 15-year-old Greenwich Village shop.

Soon after this news broke, DNAinfo got word that a pair of siblings reached out to Slotnick about a retail space available in their childhood home on East Second Street.

A few weeks back, Slotnick confirmed to Jeremiah that she struck a deal with the family for the ground-floor commercial space.

Per Jeremiah: "[T]he story of how she got it might renew your faith in New York City and the life of its book culture." Read his post here.

Check out the Bonnie Slocknick Cookbook site for official opening info.

Report: Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks will move to the East Village

[28 E. Second St.]

Back in November, Jeremiah Moss reported that the popular Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks was not having the lease renewed for its 15-year-old Greenwich Village shop.

Soon after this news broke, DNAinfo got word that a pair of siblings reached out to Slotnick about a retail space available in their childhood home on East Second Street between Second Avenue and the Bowery.

Yesterday, Slotnick confirmed to Jeremiah that she struck a deal with the family, with an anticipated opening date of Feb. 1 in the ground-floor commercial space.

Per Jeremiah: "[T]he story of how she got it might renew your faith in New York City and the life of its book culture."

Read his post here.

Previously

Lease-less Greenwich Village cookbook shop may find a new home on East 2nd Street

On Monday, Jeremiah Moss reported that the popular Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks was not having the lease renewed for its 15-year-old Greenwich Village shop.

However, Slotnick may have a new home already on East Second Street between the Bowery and Second Avenue.

As DNAinfo reports:

After reading news reports about Slotnick's troubles, a pair of siblings reached out to her on Tuesday about a retail space available in their childhood home on East Second Street.

"I'm speechless," Slotnick said after seeing the new spot, at 28 E. Second St., on Wednesday morning. "It's perfect."

Margo and Garth Johnston had been searching for a retail tenant for the belowground space when Margo came across online reports about Slotnick's situation.

"I sent it to Garth and said, 'I’d kind of like a bookstore,'" Margo Johnston said. "And he called me immediately, and we called Bonnie."

The siblings told Slotnick about their mother, Eden Ross Lipson, who owned the building until she died from pancreatic cancer in 2009. Lipson spent more than three decades reviewing books for the New York Times Book Review, and she had an extensive cookbook collection.

The basement-level commercial space is triple the size of the space Slotnick currently pays $3,500 a month to rent at 163 W. 10th St., DNAinfo notes.

The siblings could, of course, make some money off the retail space.

Back to DNA:

But Johnston assured Slotnick that she and her brother are more concerned with finding the right tenant than the rent.

"We've been told we could certainly charge a lot more," Johnston said. "But [getting] the most money is not the important thing. The place is really important to us."