Mama Hooch rapists’ father Michael Jaz quits NZ owing more than $235K after collapse of family hospo company

The father of Mama Hooch rapist brothers Danny and Roberto Jaz has left New Zealand owing more than $235,000 to creditors after his hospitality empire collapsed due to his sons’ predatory and prolific offending.

In May this year, an application was made to the High Court at Christchurch to put Jaz Holdings Ltd into liquidation.

The company’s sole director is Michael Jaz, the father of convicted rapist and drink spikers Danny and Roberto Jaz.

However, the company has been widely referred to as a family business in various court proceedings.

The Mama Hooch bar and Venuti restaurant where the predatory brothers targeted, drugged and assaulted women were owned by Jaz Holdings Ltd.

On August 29 the first liquidator’s report was released.

The Official Assignee has been appointed as liquidator and confirmed the liquidation of the company had been made official on August 3.

The report shows Jaz Holdings owes the Inland Revenue Department $205,559.08.

A further $29,075 is owed to unsecured creditors.

There was no cash in the bank or vehicles listed as assets.

Staff employed by Jaz Holdings Ltd were not owed any money.

Mama Hooch closed soon after the brothers were arrested and charged. Despite changing its name to Gold Aroma, it did not survive.

Venuti closed in March this year after it failed in a bid to renew its liquor licence.

The report reveals Michael Jaz terminated his lease of the site before the liquidation.

“All chattels and fit-out items have rightfully transferred to the property landlord,” the report said.

Michael Jaz was not charged in relation to any of his sons’ offending.

He left New Zealand some time ago and it is understood he is living back in Sydney.

Danny Jaz, 40, worked as a manager at Mama Hooch and Roberto Jaz, 38, was the chef at Venuti.

Their younger brother Davide Jaz worked at Mama Hooch but was never charged or implicated in their offending.

Partners of both Danny and Roberto worked at the bar, mainly during the day when coffee and food was served.

It is understood their mother - who has permanent name suppression - did not work at either venue.

The offenders were sentenced to significant prison terms last month after they were convicted of 69 charges between them including rape, sexual violation, indecent assault, stupefying, disabling, making intimate recordings of women without their knowledge or consent and supplying illicit drugs.

The brothers - described repeatedly by police and the sentencing judge as “predatory” - were behind a long-running campaign of drink spiking and sexual assaults at Mama Hooch and Venuti which was situated just down the street.

Brothers Danny Jaz (left), and Roberto Jaz were sentenced on a raft of charges. Photo / George Heard

Judge Paul Mabey KC sentenced Roberto Jaz to 17 years in prison and his older brother to 16-and-a-half years.

Both must serve half of their sentence before they are eligible to appear before the Parole Board.

Earlier this week the Herald revealed the brothers had been transferred from Christchurch Men’s Prison to Otago Corrections Facility in Milton.

A source has said the move was for “safety”.

Corrections will not comment on the specifics but said the transfer was not the result of any safety concerns it had for the newly sentenced inmates.

In May the Herald reported Roberto Jaz had been assaulted in prison.

The attack came days after his five-year name suppression order lapsed.

When the siblings were sentenced last month Danny Jaz sported a black eye and appeared to have a recent nose injury.

At sentencing, Judge Mabey said neither Danny nor Roberto Jaz had shown any remorse.

Danny Jaz had declined to engage with any pre-sentence report writers.

He pleaded guilty to 21 charges of sexually assaulting women days into a trial that spanned more than three months.

Roberto Jaz maintained his not-guilty pleas at the same trial.

However, he pleaded guilty to a single charge of indecent assault before a second trial relating to similar offending against a woman.

In an interview for his pre-sentence report, Roberto Jaz said he did not accept Judge Mabey’s verdict and “does not believe he has done anything wrong”.

The Jaz brothers’ sentence is the harshest handed down in New Zealand for such offending.

“The level of your offending is unknown in this country,” said Judge Mabey in court.

“You helped yourself to young women with callous disregard for their rights and their dignity.

“You should both be in no doubt that you’ve severely damaged all of your victims by your predatory and heartless offending, driven by arrogance, misguided self-belief and a complete lack of respect for the rights of those you’ve offended against.”

Danny Jaz (L) and Roberto Jaz have been convicted of rape and a raft of other charges relating to the drugging and sexual assault of women at their family bar and restaurant Mama Hooch and Venuti in Christchurch. Photo / Pool

The judge said the rapists’ continued claim that any sexual activity was “consensual” was “a fantasy.

“It was an astounding demonstration of the hubris entitlement which ultimately led to your downfall,” he said.

Judge Mabey said the men “heartlessly exploited” their victims.

“Both of you demonstrated through your words and your actions, the callous and predatory disregard for the young women you offended against,” he said.

“You are not men of good character - you are sexual predators.

“Perhaps misogynistic attitudes and the patriarchal approach to life within your family may have engendered a new and unhealthy attitude to women.

“You could not care less.”

‘Michael Jaz and his family almost appear to think they are above the law’ - police

Before their trial and sentencing, Michael Jaz defended his sons.

Christchurch District Licensing Committee documents released to the Herald outline the “strange attitude” Michael Jaz had about his sons’ offending and his apparent “disregard” for the law.

After Roberto was arrested in 2018, a police and liquor licensing official sought a meeting with Michael Jaz to discuss patron safety at his venues.

Given the serious charges the middle Jaz brother was facing, authorities were concerned about how his licence-holding father was looking after people under his watch.

Michael Jaz assured them Roberto “had been removed from working at either of the premises”.

But it was actually a bail condition that was keeping Roberto away from the venues.

Police asked about Danny’s role.

He was under investigation but had not yet been charged and because of this, Michael Jaz said there was “no reason to remove” his oldest son from Mama Hooch.

Danny Jaz in the dock at sentencing. Photo / George Heard

Danny was charged in November 2018 and in early 2019 Mama Hooch’s licence came up for renewal.

At a meeting about that application, Michael Jaz told the police officer Danny had been “removed as manager” but was still working at the bar at night.

Danny “needed to be there to guide the new person” who had been hired as duty manager to replace him, his father reasoned.

When asked what exactly Danny did at the bar, Michael Jaz said: “He enjoyed himself”.

He added that Danny was “an extra pair of hands” and “had some oversight of the bar”.

At the meeting, Michael Jaz made “disparaging comments” about “both the police investigation and the complainants”.

“These girls - they throw themselves at my boys,” he said.

He claimed: “Danny never had to force a girl to do anything”.

In a statement to the committee, the police officer said it was apparent Michael Jaz “had no concerns about Danny” and seemed to be suggesting investigators “were deliberately targeting” him and his sons.

He maintained Danny was “not guilty” that he “hated drugs” and said his “children didn’t take drugs”.

He linked the issues he was having getting his bar licence with the criminal investigation and - after the police officer explained the two were entirely separate matters - Michael Jaz began “accusing police of corrupt practices”.

He said at one point: “Why do the police force these girls to make up these lies about my sons?”

The police officer said he ended the meeting and left, telling Michael Jaz he was not prepared to sit and listen to any more of his “nonsense”.

Mama Hooch - after failing miserably to rebrand as Gold Aroma - was sold in early 2020.

Roberto Jaz in court. Photo / George Heard

In February 2023 Venuti also closed its doors when Michael Jaz was refused a renewal of the liquor licence.

Police strongly opposed that application, providing a tranche of evidence of poor management and behaviour at the bar - including some of the videos depicting sexual assaults used to prosecute the Jaz brothers.

Footage was also provided of unauthorised people in the bar after hours and serving themselves alcohol, drug use and the premises being used for consensual intimate liaisons.

Among the most disturbing videos police submitted in their opposition were Danny Jaz assaulting a man in the Mama Hooch toilets, and Michael Jaz himself throwing a punch at a patron who was attempting to leave Mama Hooch.

In the second incident, Danny and Roberto chase the man after their father punches him in the face, and get him on the ground, where they proceed to punch, knee and kick him in the head.

“Michael Jaz and his family almost appear to think they are above the law,” police said in their opposition submission.

“The behaviour of the family members was unacceptable.”

It was ultimately decided that Venuti had “no effective management in place”, the venues were “out of control” and Michael Jaz and his sons had “little or no desire to comply” with licensing rules.

The committee said the evidence provided by police in their opposition to the licence renewal was “overwhelming” and “the worst we’ve ever seen”.