Mike Palmeri, a New York State wine merchant, was fined $10,000 this week for the crime of selling wine gift bags to his customers.  It appears a law exists on the books that prohibits liquor stores from selling such items, as it somehow constitutes running a second business.  Giving the bags away for free is permitted.

Marketview Liquors’ customers are irate over the situation, and have started a petition to put a halt to the fine, and hopefully change the law.  Palmeri, however, blames himself – not the state. “Ignorance of the law is no excuse,” he said. “It’s like saying you didn’t know what the speed limit was. I violated the statute.”

The 10K Wine Gift Bag is a post from: Rhino Wino