Channel 5 Belize, Aug 5, 2010

A businessman, the co-owner of the Hungry Money located on North Front Street, was found lifeless when the restaurant opened for business this morning. His body was found on a chair with financial documents nearby. Business was not doing well and bills were mounting. Employees report that Mario Varacalli had said he intended to take his own life, but was not taken seriously. News Five's Isani Cayetano and Jose Sanchez worked on this story.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

Hungry Monkey on North Front Street opened to much fanfare as an outlet of a sub-sandwich business that was first established on San Pedro. Though it was opened on February First, five months later, the co-owner of the business, Mario Varacalli committed suicide inside the business. One of the employees found his body inside the establishment this morning.

Voice of: Esther Gillett, Manager/Supervisor, Hungry Monkey

"When I came in this morning I saw my boss laying down where he usually is when he stays here in the night. I went to the back and I opened the shutters and I came back. But I saw that he didn't move. So I went towards him but as I was approaching him, I looked at this feet and saw that his feet was dark in color. So I looked up at his chest and noticed that he wasn't breathing. I went outside to find somebody to see if everything was okay with him. So I went and found this man that usually help me every morning. He went and he checked the body and said yes, he's cold. He looks like he's dead. So I got on the phone and I called 911 and then the police came and viewed the body and said he was deceased."

Esther Gillett then called Rosalle Varacalli to inform her that her husband had left her behind. She was distraught when she showed up to identify his body at the business that they worked so hard to establish. Economic hard times may have played a role in the death. The sandwiches were priced higher than similar establishments. Varacalli also had to pay nine employees. Business was not brisk and that may have been too much for the Canadian national to handle.

Varacalli reportedly ingested an overdose of medication. The cause of death will be determined when a post mortem is be conducted.

Cannel 5 Story

Sad, that it had to end like this. We feel sorry for his son and his wife, both are living in San Pedro.

We should keep a network running, to guide and help to avoid
situation like this. Sometimes just listen to people and counseling can do so much.

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