State notice alleges 1,279 work permit violations at Little Italy; renewal up Tuesday

Twenty-four employees between the ages of 13 and 17 are alleged to have worked at Little Italy Restaurante in Anchorage without approved Department of Labor work permits, spanning January 2024 to March 2026, according to a notice of violation the Alcohol & Marijuana Control Office issued June 15. The notice states it is not an accusation or a criminal complaint.

The office counted a minimum of 1,279 violations over that span, including 207 tied to employees aged 13 to 15. No information was provided for one employee and very little for another, according to the notice, issued to licensee F. Scott & Ernest LLC under beverage dispensary license 2988.

State labor rules require a work permit on file for all minors 16 and under, and for 17-year-olds when the employer is licensed to sell alcohol. Minors under 16 are prohibited from working at licensed establishments.

The finding followed a March 26 inspection at the restaurant on East 88th Avenue. Investigator J. Hamilton wrote that the employment records came through voluntary requests and a production letter signed by the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board director. As of the notice date, no signed work permits had been provided.

The notice follows an April warning, when AMCO's director's report noted a rise in violations involving minors working at alcohol-licensed establishments without valid work permits.

Vasilios Gialopsos, a member of the licensee, responded in writing on June 24. "Little Italy currently has no employees under the age of 18," he wrote. He said alcohol service will be limited to staff 18 or older holding valid Training for Alcohol Professionals cards, and mixing to staff 21 or older. Future employees aged 16 or 17 would need written parental or guardian consent and a Department of Labor exemption. "Little Italy will not employ anyone under 16 years old," he wrote.

The Alcoholic Beverage Control Board meets Tuesday. Little Italy's 2026-2027 renewal is on the agenda in the routine list, not the separate section for renewals carrying notices of violation. The agenda also carries a standing enforcement item on notices issued and licensee responses.

No fine is listed on the notice. If the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board decides to act against the license, the licensee would receive an accusation and notice of a right to an administrative hearing. A Fairbanks restaurant cited in November 2025 for lacking a work permit for a 17-year-old had its notice reviewed that February, when the board ordered an accusation; a stipulated agreement is on Tuesday's agenda.