Friars Club members supported their embattled former director Michael Gyure at his sentencing for filing false tax returns by proudly riding to court in a “party bus” — then embarking for a “victory celebration.”
An email went out before the hearing: “For those of you who are attending Michael’s sentencing today, we have arranged a bus to transport us from the Friars Club to the Courthouse and then back to the Friars.”
The club is closed for a summer hiatus — but supporters of Gyure’s planned to go back to the venue for a special party after he left court with no jail time and community service. But we hear the celebration ended up at a restaurant instead.
The Friars was raided in 2017 by the FBI, and Gyure pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns after prosecutors alleged he failed to disclose $433,000 in “personal expenses and other benefits” provided by the club.
They asked for jail time for “avarice and deception,” which allegedly included Gyure arranging for the profits from a 2015 Terry Bradshaw roast to be funneled to a firm Gyure ran rather than to the club.
Yet the longtime executive’s contract has just been renewed for five years by the club’s board. (This year, he was named “executive producer.”)
One insider told us that non-Gyure-supporting Friars are up in arms. “We had to pick up the tab for his party bus and planned victory celebration. And they’ve offered him a new contract. I’d say this is a joke, if it wasn’t so sad.”
A message being passed among members read, “The Friars in the last 4 years. Gone totally broke. Mortgaged the building to death. Lost their tax exempt status. Hasn’t filed taxes. Didn’t pay their bills. Massive sexual harassment lawsuit paid off. Director is convicted of a felony . . . What do they do about it? Give that director a new 5 year contract!”
But a top lawyer for the storied 115-year-old club, Arthur Aidala, insisted with a straight face, “The vehicle from the club to court was a van . . . not a party bus.” And Gyure later went to “spend precious time with his family.”