Hospitality vet Richie Akiva was arrested in Nolita on Sunday afternoon and hauled down to the station and charged with misdemeanors.
We hear Akiva, who founded iconic NYC hotspots 1Oak and Up & Down, was pulled over by a cop in an undercover vehicle on the corner of Mulberry St. and Prince St. for having tinted windows.
The club king — known for rubbing elbows with A-listers like Leo DiCaprio, Naomi Campbell and Paris Hilton — was then taken to the 9th precinct when it was discovered he was driving on a suspended license.
“I was stunned to find out my license was suspended, and I am sure it will be resolved in my favor,” Akiva tells us.
We hear his license was suspended due to an old unpaid parking ticket.
According to a source, he has been charged with one count of aggravated unlicensed operation in the second degree, and one count of an equipment violation.
Akiva has been a core member of DiCaprio’s group since they were known as the P–sy Posse on the ’90s nightlife scene.
He was also a part of Butter Group — which included restaurants and popular nightclubs such as Up & Down — with former business partner Scott Sartiano.
The pair ended up in a court battle in 2018.
Akiva helped launch exclusive members-only club the Ned in June 2022 as its “brand and creative director,” bringing in celebs like DiCaprio, Rihanna, Emily Ratajkowski, G-Eazy and “SNL” comic Leslie Jones.
But the entrepreneur was out by February 2024, with a source telling Page Six there was behind-the-scenes wrangling over money.
Akiva most recently has been throwing high-end parties internationally — including a New Year’s Eve party in St. Barts — plus a huge bash following the glamorous amfAR gala in Cannes.
We hear he’s working on opening a new nightclub downtown.
Page Six reported in 2023 that he had a falling out with another business partner, Darren Dzienciol. They now hold rival bashes during May’s Cannes Film Festival.
Akiva is no stranger in dealing with cops. Police showed up to a party he threw at tech mogul David Rosenberg’s estate in the Hamptons in 2024, after a guest and a door girl got into an alleged altercation.
DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, NBA star James Harden, Kris Jenner’s beau Corey Gamble and Sports Illustrated model Brooks Nader were at that bash.
In October 2023 Akiva was honored with the “Angel of Light Award,” at Denise Rich’s Angel Ball charity gala.
Just last month, the nightlife titan was spotted chatting up Mayor Eric Adams’ table at the ritzy private club, Chez Margaux.
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