OFF BEAT: New York's Carnegie Deli at center of messy divorce

The famous overstuffed deli sandwiches and cheesecakes featured at the well-known Carnegie Deli in New York have now become the focus of a messy lawsuit and divorce.

Marian Levine, whose father bought the business with a partner in 1976, contends her estranged husband, Sanford Levine, who was running it, had been having an affair with one of its waitresses, Thai native Penkae Siricharoen.

According to an article in the New York Post, not only did Mr. Levine give his girlfriend the deli’s secret recipes while carrying on a clandestine affair, he set her up in her own restaurant in Queens.

Ms. Levine claims that although Ms. Siricharoen had been sporting a diamond ring Mr. Levine had given her, she was unaware of the affair until he started pushing her to sell the business.

“Everybody knew about his open secret but moi,” she said. “Everybody knew but me.”

A lawsuit filed by Ms. Levine seeks to void a 15-year lease at $975 a month on an apartment above the restaurant, which the business owns, that Mr. Levine had given the waitress.

But customers of the deli need not fear for their beloved sandwiches and cheesecake. Although Mr. Levine has quit the deli business and moved out from his home, the restaurant remains open for business.