BOSTON — Only in Mayor Michelle Wu’s Boston can you be caught on video attacking a bartender, hit with a no-contact order and bar ban, and still get a job at City Hall.

That’s the real-life résumé of Samantha Peracchi, a staffer hired by District 1 City Councilor Gabriela Coletta while facing an open criminal case for assault and battery — a case that’s still pending, nearly 15 months later.

What the Video Shows

Footage obtained by Mass Daily News appears to show Peracchi storming behind the bar at L’Osteria — a well-known North End restaurant — and physically attacking a female bartender. In the clip, Peracchi appears to swing at the woman, grab her by the hair, and lash out before being forcibly pulled away.

The bartender, trapped behind the bar, does not retaliate.

It’s not a fight. It’s a one-sided attack — and it was captured on film.

Watch the Video

Footage from the night of May 24, 2024, shows Samantha Peracchi going behind the bar at L’Osteria and allegedly attacking a female bartender. The bartender does not appear to fight back.

The Criminal Case

The incident occurred on May 24, 2024. Court records show Peracchi was later charged under MGL c265 §13A(a) — a misdemeanor assault and battery charge that allows for more than 100 days of incarceration.

She was arraigned in October 2024 and pleaded not guilty. Since then, the case has remained active through a series of pretrial hearings.

As part of her pretrial probation, Peracchi was ordered by the court to:

• Have no contact with the victim
• Stay out of L’Osteria, the restaurant where the attack occurred

Her next court date is set for April 15, 2026.

The Job Offer

Despite all that, Councilor Coletta publicly welcomed Peracchi to her team on April 17, 2025, calling her a “lifelong North End resident” who would help “enhance quality of life” in the neighborhood.

Just over a month later, on May 24, 2025 — the one-year anniversary of the alleged attack — the Boston City Council formally approved Peracchi’s hiring.

That’s not satire. That’s a real hiring date: exactly one year to the day after the bar attack she’s now in court for.

Wu’s Boston, Wu’s Rules

Mayor Wu didn’t sign the hiring order — but the political culture that made it possible belongs to her.

Wu’s allies on the Council — including Coletta — have championed a governing style built on identity politics, buzzword progressivism, and “compassionate accountability.” But when a City Hall employee is caught on video attacking a woman and still gets a job, voters may start to wonder what values are actually being prioritized.

This isn’t an old conviction. It’s not a teenage mistake. This is a current case, involving violence, public video, court supervision, and a taxpayer-funded paycheck.

And no one from City Hall — not Coletta, not Wu — has said a word about it.

Barred from the Restaurant, Not the Budget

Peracchi is still prohibited by court order from entering L’Osteria, the very neighborhood restaurant she was hired to serve as part of her constituent outreach duties.

She cannot walk through the door of a local business because of an alleged violent attack — but she can walk through the doors of City Hall.

For critics of Wu’s administration, this is par for the course: soft on crime, hard on accountability, and allergic to consequences.

What This Says About City Hall

A City Council staffer is accused of attacking a female bartender.
There’s video.
There’s a court case.
There’s active probation.
And now — there’s a paycheck.

The only real question is: why did no one in City Hall think this was disqualifying?

In Wu’s Boston, the only thing that seems to matter is who you know — and who you’re willing to protect.

Peracchi has pleaded not guilty. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Her case remains pending in Boston Municipal Court under Docket #2401CR003505.