Jack Tucey, a longtime business operator on Catalina Island died Dec. 2, exactly one month after he and his wife, Nora, were arrested and charged with more than two dozen felonies related to wage theft.
Jack, 80, and Nora, 75, were arrested on Nov. 2 and charged with 25 felony counts including grand theft of wages, conspiracy to commit a crime and filing false and fraudulent returns following an investigation by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office’s Criminal Investigation Unit.
The six-year investigation found that at least 18 workers were owed $1,032,684 — including more than $500,000 in unpaid overtime — to cover lost wages from July 2008 to Oct. 15, 2022. More workers are expected to have been victims of the couple, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
The couple operated numerous businesses on the island during those 14 years, including El Galleon Restaurant, Mi Casita Authentic Mexican Restaurant, Antonio’s Pizzeria & Cabaret, Original Antonio’s Pizzeria, Food Brokers International, Inc., Catalina Hotel, Catalina Courtyard Hotel and Original Jack’s Restaurant and Bakery.
After their arrest, the couple posted $500,000 in combined bail and were released from custody, according to the DA’s office. The pair were facing up to 22 years in prison each.
The case against Nora, 75, will continue, the DA’s Office said in an email to the Business Journal Friday. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 20.
Jack was born in Long Beach on Dec. 10, 1942, and attended Long Beach Poly High School, according to an obituary published in the Press-Telegram.
In a recent interview, Catalina Mayor Anni Marshall said Jack has always been generous to the community, noting his final gift to the island was a 16-by-45-foot mural celebrating the city’s annual Fourth of July parade, which was founded by Marshall 40 years ago.
Editor’s note: This story was updated to remove the name of an attorney who previously represented Tucey but does not any longer.