A Long Island lawyer has been found in civil contempt for repeated interference with a receiver appointed to run The Sloppy Tuna, a sometimes-wild beachfront nightspot that has helped transform Montauk into a party destination.

The lawyer, A. Todd Merolla, also was found in contempt because he skipped a court-ordered hearing in January, telling Suffolk County Supreme Court Justice Jerry Garguilo in a note, “I have significant concerns regarding the procedural and jurisdictional posture of the scheduled contempt hearing for January 9-10, 2017 to the extent directed at me.”

Garguilo, who is presiding over part of a yearslong legal battle among four owners of The Sloppy Tuna, cited Merolla's “audacity” in a lengthy May 9 contempt order. Then he criticized him repeatedly as he detailed Merolla's actions over a year's time.

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