Fresh off an overnight stay in jail, the relatively new owner of Sal’s Pizza and Restaurant in Norwood said his very public arrest during dinnertime two weeks ago was based on erroneous information given to police and that he was the victim of a robbery setup.

But police say they executed a valid search warrant and came away with enough evidence to charge the owner with a couple of misdemeanors and a violation.

Musa Nesherwat, who purchased the popular Norwood eatery last winter, said police entered his packed restaurant on Tuesday, Sept. 25, at 7:30 p.m., saying they were told that drugs and guns were being sold from his establishment.

Nesherwat said he told the officers they could look at video recordings from his security camera system, which stores six months’ worth of back footage, and see that nothing of the sort was happening.

But police continued their search of the premises and, inside a gun case in Nesherwat’s office, discovered a loaded handgun, an unloaded shotgun, dozens of rounds of ammunition and a small amount of marijuana. Police then escorted Nesherwat out of his restaurant, put him in a police van and placed him under arrest. He was released the next day without having to post bail.

In an interview, Nesherwat said his brother was on his way from California to clear up the license issue for the shotgun, but did not mention the handgun or the marijuana. He repeatedly denied selling drug or guns from the location and said his brief jail stint and the fact that his shop re-opened the next day should serve as evidence that criminal activity is not going on at Sal’s.

None of the charges against Nesherwat amount to more than a misdemeanor.

Sgt. Brendan Ryan, a spokesman for the NYPD, said police officers “executed a valid search warrant” at Sal’s and that Nesherwat is being charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the fourth degree, which is a misdemeanor, possession of ammunition (another misdemeanor) and possession of marijuana, which is a violation (like a parking ticket).
Nesherwat said he believes he was set up by somebody who called police and supplied them with false information. While he was sitting in jail overnight, he said his store was broken into and some $200 was taken from his office. He’s not sure how they broke in and said police are still investigating.

Ryan said the robbery of Sal’s happened the morning after his arrest, between 10 and 11:15 a.m., and is still under investigation. He said thieves made off with “approximately $2,000.”

Inspector Joseph Dowling, the commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct, confirmed only that someone had been arrested at Sal’s address and said he needed more time to provide further details. Dowling confirmed that he had a report on his desk about the robbery, but said he didn’t want to go into specifics until speaking with detectives.

On Wednesday afternoon, everything looked normal at Sal’s. Customers sat at the tables, gobbling up pasta and drinking wine. Staff, including former owner Sal Calces, who said he came back to work Wednesdays a few weeks ago because he “missed his friends,” were busy filling orders and handing out slices. Calces chatted up a group of diners and, in classic Sal fashion, chased away a homeless man after offering him food and telling him not to beg customers for change.

Following his release from jail, Nesherwat was eager to clear his name, but also wanted to let people know that he would not be intimidated or deterred or distracted from running his restaurant. Nesherwat said he believes somebody jealous of his success — though he’s quick to point out that he doesn’t flaunt it or talk about it — wanted to ruin his name and make off with his earnings.

“It’s very upsetting,” he said, defiantly. “I bust my [butt] for 15 hours a day. Let the haters hate.”

Editor’s note: This story was adapted from an earlier blog post and published in the Oct. 4-17 print edition of the Norwood News.