Miguel Marchese became a familiar name online after a chaotic confrontation at a San Francisco restaurant went viral. But long before the footage spread across TikTok and news broadcasts, Marchese says he was already trying to recover from a separate setback.
According to reports, Marchese was dealing with a costly apartment scam that left him broke and homeless shortly after moving to New York City.
The two episodes, unfolding months apart, have turned the 25-year-old former bartender into an unlikely public figure tied to both a workplace controversy and a criminal fraud case.
The Bartender at the Centre of the Hazie's Incident
Reports say that Marchese was working as a bartender at Hazie's, a Hayes Valley restaurant, on 13 December 2025, during San Francisco's SantaCon pub crawl.
According to police reports and video footage, a visibly intoxicated customer, later identified as Shireen Afkari, became aggressive after being refused further service.
Here's how to ruin your life in 1 hour on one night out.
— Desiree (@DesireeAmerica4) December 19, 2025
Get blackout drunk at Hazie's (trendy spot in San Francisco)
Get cut off (rightfully)
Start screaming, cursing staff
Attack customers filming you
Pull a bartender's hair
Fight everyone trying to escort you… pic.twitter.com/CIqZsXlHzF
Videos show Afkari shouting at staff, striking a busser, and grabbing Marchese by the hair as employees attempted to remove her from the restaurant. Outside, Afkari continued to pursue him.
In the clip that ultimately went viral, Marchese tosses her phone away to break free, then extends his leg as she runs back toward him, causing her to fall.
Police arrested Afkari for public intoxication. She was later fired from her job at Strava for what the company described as 'extremely concerning off-hours behaviour.' No serious injuries were reported, and no lawsuits have been filed.
Fired Weeks Later
Despite widespread online support for Marchese, Hazie's terminated his employment on 3 January 2026. The restaurant cited concerns that his actions outside the venue posed a potential insurance risk.
Marchese rejected a severance offer that would have restricted him from speaking publicly about the incident.
In interviews following his firing, Marchese maintained that he acted in self-defence, saying he was trying to prevent further assault. Public reaction remains split, with supporters arguing he was protecting himself, while critics say the final move escalated the situation.
A Costly Move to New York
What received far less attention at first was what happened to Marchese months earlier in New York City.
In August 2025, he relocated from San Francisco to New York to pursue modelling and creative work. According to Marchese and a GoFundMe campaign created on his behalf, he responded to a Manhattan apartment listing advertised by a man named Nicholas 'Nick' Fuelling.
Marchese says he toured the apartment, signed a lease through DocuSign, and paid $6,400 (approximately £4,800) — covering a security deposit and first month's rent. However, the apartment turned out to be fake. When he arrived to move in, he discovered other victims had been scammed the same way.
The Scam and Its Fallout
Marchese reportedly lost all the money he had saved. With no housing, he temporarily slept on a friend's living room floor. He later returned to San Francisco after realising he could not afford to stay in New York.
According to reporting linked in the fundraiser, Fuelling allegedly scammed at least 11 people, taking more than $50,000 (approximately £37,800) in total. Authorities later confirmed Fuelling had prior fraud convictions in San Francisco.
However, according to reports, the Manhattan District Attorney's Office announced Fuelling had been indicted for a Hell's Kitchen rental scam.
Marchese has spoken publicly about the experience, warning others about rental red flags and urging victims to report similar cases.
