Marin panettone king sued for $126K in unpaid SF taxes

The Larkspur Chamber of Commerce in 1997 named Rulli its Business Citizen of the Year. The San Francisco Chronicle in 2003 dubbed him the “stealthiest operator in the Bay Area” as he began construction on his Chestnut Street restaurant. His breadwinning empire once included locations at the San Francisco and Oakland airports, as well as a Union Square cafe.

But like a flaky pastry, his reach has crumbled, leaving only Ristobar and his original Larkspur bakery, Emporio Rulli.

Disputes over allegedly unpaid bills have dragged Rulli into court before, records show. In 2015, the city issued a lien against him for nearly $20,000; the city attorney’s office could not immediately explain how the lien was resolved. Two years later, a repairman sued in small claims court, alleging Rulli refused to pay him more than $3,000 for fixing an espresso machine. 

Rulli owns a four-bedroom, 3,100-square-foot home in San Rafael that’s worth $2.8 million, according to Zillow. Public records show he bought the house for $1.75 million in 2007.