2 LI eateries part of $1 million wage settlement

A restaurant chain with two locations on Long Island and one in Westchester County has agreed to pay just over a $1 million to settle federal charges that it failed to pay 255 workers minimum wage and overtime, the U.S. Labor Department said  Wednesday afternoon.

The restaurants are Asian Moon in Garden City and Massapequa Park, and Golden Rod in New Rochelle. The bulk of the alleged violations occurred on Long Island, the department said. The chain’s president, Vickie Sue Li, was also a party to the settlement.

Under the agreement, which a judge signed off on Friday, the company agrees to pay $1,085,752 in back wages and damages to the employees. It will also pay about $98,000 in civil penalties to the department.

Li couldn’t be reached for comment. In a settlement a defendant neither admits nor denies guilt.

Photo: Asian Moon on Franklin Avenue in Garden City.  (Dec. 17, 2012)