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Banking exec fired after video captures violent outburst at Koreatown restaurant

Roman Cambell allegedly brawled with staff at Koreatown’s Shanghai Mong restaurant

Bevan Hurley
Sunday 12 June 2022 17:41 BST
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Banking executive assaults staff at NYC restaurant

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A Credit Suisse executive has been fired after allegedly starting a fight with staff at a Koreatown restaurant when he was blocked from using the restroom.

Roman Cambell tried to force his way into Shanghai Mong in New York City at around 2am on 4 June, Sunaba Yi, whose parents own the restaurant, told The Independent.

Roman Cambell was fired from his job at Credit Suisse after allegedly starting a drunken brawl at a Koreatown restaurant
Roman Cambell was fired from his job at Credit Suisse after allegedly starting a drunken brawl at a Koreatown restaurant (Sunaba Yi)

Ms Yi’s mother Jane Yi, explained the restrooms were for customers only, but he refused to leave and became aggressive and started recording her on his cellphone, she said.

Ms Yi said her mother was frightened and started filming him back, at which point Mr Cambell tried to grab her phone.

Surveillance footage of the incident posted online shows Mr Cambell push his way past her and enter a kitchen area at the back of the restaurant, as two friends try to convince him to leave.

“He said he wanted to talk to the manager, and said he would wait for the cops to show up,” Ms Yi said.

Mr Cambell then get involved in an altercation with a waiter who tried to remove him from the restaurant.

Ms Yi told The Independent the banking executive threw about 10 punches at server Jose Morales.

Roman Cambell became involved in an altercation at the Shanghai Mong restaurant after he was not allowed to use a restroom
Roman Cambell became involved in an altercation at the Shanghai Mong restaurant after he was not allowed to use a restroom (Sunabi Yi)

“He started punching Jose’s forehead. His friends were trying to drag him out, and then Roman started fighting with his friends.”

He then grabbed Jane Yi’s cellphone and threw it to the ground.

Several police officers arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later and Mr Cambell was allowed to leave without being charged, Ms Yi said.

A few days after the brawl, she posted footage to Instagram and TikTok in an effort to track the man down.

The post went viral, and Ms Yi said she was contacted by several Credit Suisse employees who confirmed his identity.

Roman Cambell brawls with staff at the Shanghai Mong restaurant
Roman Cambell brawls with staff at the Shanghai Mong restaurant (Sunaba Yi)

A source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Independent that Mr Cambell “had been terminated” by Credit Suisse.

In a statement to The Independent, a spokeswoman said: “Credit Suisse is aware of the allegations circulating over social media, which occurred off property and are unrelated to Credit Suisse. 

“Credit Suisse maintains and adheres to a policy condemning discrimination, bullying or violence of any kind.”

Ms Yi said both her mother and Mr Morales had been left traumatised by the incident. She said her parents were fearful that Mr Cambell would try to return to their restaurant.

Ms Yi, who works weekends at the restaurant, said she had been in contact with detectives from the NYPD who were investigating.

The NYPD said in a statement that officers were called to reports of a verbal dispute between a man asking to use the restaurant toilet and a 28-year-old male victim who tried to remove him from the location.

“The individual punched the victim who did not sustain any injury and was not hospitalised as a result. There was no arrest at the time of the incident,” an NYPD spokesperson said.

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