Controversial chef of Doña Ana County pizza restaurant arrested for alleged domestic violence

DOÑA ANA COUNTY, New Mexico - The head chef of ‘Forghedaboudit Southwest Italian Cuisine’ was arrested over the weekend on domestic violence charges, according to jail booking records.

The Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office arrested Bob Yacone in the 6500 block of Vista De Oro in Picacho Hills, west of Las Cruces, on Saturday and charged him with battery against a household member.

According to the criminal complaint filed against him, Yacone is alleged to have shoved his wife during a heated argument.

The Yacone restaurant, currently located in Deming, is "coming soon" to Las Cruces, according to its website. The family's Las Cruces location will be in Picacho Hills, according to a public notice.

In August, county commissioners narrowly granted a liquor license to the Yacone family after their business attracted a number of controversies.

“This is a person who is a potential danger to the community,” said Peter Goodman, a local attorney and columnist.

Controversies

In 2014, Bob Yacone pleaded guilty to a felony child abuse charge. His attorney told commissioners that the charge was dropped.

"The felony charges were all dismissed, there was a plea to a misdemeanor,” said George Harrison, who represented Yacone on that charge.

According to New Mexico law, the spouse of a person convicted of a felony cannot get a liquor license, except if “the person demonstrates that the convicted spouse will have no involvement in the operation of the license.”

“I am sole owner of the business,” Kimberly Yacone (Bob's wife) told commissioners at the time.

That day, Commissioner Manuel Sanchez also questioned the Yacone family on a controversial social media post that appeared to come from Bob's account.

“Hiring top notch servers… No dreamers, homeless or IHOP people need apply. New York attitude is a plus," Bob posted, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.

Kimberly told commissioners that the post came from a third-party social media manager.

“Once I found out that post was up, it was taken down immediately and that third-party person was fired for ever doing my social media again,” she said.

Shortly after the commission meeting last fall, the restaurant's Facebook page slammed Commissioner Shannon Reynolds for voting no to their liquor license.

“Shannon Reynolds is no friend of Forghedaboudit!!” the post read. “Today at a local hearing on our liquor license approval this county commissioner upset Kim as she fought tooth and nail as he bashed me and our successful family business and tried to prevent us from owning a liquor license. He may not like me but I guarantee he will see us again come elections to get his pompous ass out!!”