The Haruvis at Mar-a-Lago
A 65-year-old domestic worker employed by Mar-a-Lago members Abe and Giovanna Haruvi filed a lawsuit alleging she suffered stomach-churning humiliation and abuse at the hands of the missus.
Things allegedly unraveled on Irma Diaz‘ first day on the job when, Diaz claims, she was made to sleep in a small basement service room already occupied by two dogs that wouldn’t leave.
Diaz contends the only shower she could use was the one in which the animals were trained to potty!
Now, the bad news: Diaz eventually found out the previous housekeeper who slept on the same mattress in the same service room developed tuberculosis.
To escape the pooches and the uneasiness of a communicable disease, Diaz ended up sleeping on the kitchen floor of the Haruvi’s $1.5 Palm Beach million-mansion just north of Donald Trump’s private club
A domestic worker with various local families for the past 10 years and a legal immigrant, Diaz said she was hired in July after an interview process in which New York real estate developer Abe Haruvi and his wife “appeared to be kind.”
But soon, Diaz’ schedule became back-breaking, with 6 a.m starts and frequent 19-hour shifts. Diaz says she wasn’t allowed to break or eat until after the Haruvis retired for the night.
Defendant Giovanna Haruvi would even watch the plaintiff on her security system through her cellular phone and berate her if she was seen eating anything, ” according to the suit brought last week ina Palm Beach County circuit court. Diaz hid bread, rice and beans and soda in the room so she could sneak a few bites during the day.
Three weeks after she started, Diaz claims, new mother Giovanna Haruvi was swimming in the pool when she screamed that she’d been bitten by a snake. She ordered Diaz to jump in the pool to help her, but Diaz refused because she can’t swim.
When she finally got out, Giovanna Haruvi alleged grabbed Diaz by the shoulders and screamed as she shook her. That was, according to Diaz, the first of several alleged incidents when things between the women got physical.
Now, Diaz wants to get paid for assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress.
She claims she lost 5 pounds in the 10 weeks she worked for the Haruvis, which came to an end after Diaz was admitted at Jackson Mental Health Hospital in Miami after a suicide attempt.
“The actions were atrocious and utterly intolerable in a civilized society,” wrote Diaz’ lawyer, Michael Walrath. He didn’t return calls for comment and no phone numbers are listed for Diaz. But an insider familiar with the case said Walrath checked into Diaz’ story before filing and is confident she’s telling the truth about her experience at the Haruvi household.
No one picked up the phone at the Haruvis home Monday and no lawyer was listed as representing them on the case. They have yet to respond to the filing.
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