*A Connecticut man who went viral for hurling racist insults at employees of a smoothie shop has apologized after his wild antics got him arrested and fired from his job.
James Iannazzo, 48, purchased a smoothie at Robeks on Black Rock Turnpike on Saturday afternoon and about 30 minutes later, his son suffered an allergic reaction, prompting Iannazzo to call 911. He then returned to the smoothie shop and unleashed his fury on the workers, calling them immigrants and throwing a drink at one of the workers, which hit her in the head. At one point, he even attempts to enter the employee area but the female workers blocked the door and called police.
Watch the moment via the Twitter video below.
According to Fairfield Police, Iannazzo was arrested on charges of intimidation based on bias, breach of peace and criminal trespass. He also lost his job at Merrill Lynch.
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I’ve identified this man as James Iannazzo of @MerrillLynch being racist and assaulting a minor pic.twitter.com/O8Ic6jyh3p
— Danesh (@thatdaneshguy) January 23, 2022
Iannazzo has released a statement in which he apologies for overreacting after his son suffered a medical emergency.
“My son lost the capacity to breathe properly; his lips and face swelled up, and he required an EpiPen shot, but it did not offer him relief,” Iannazzo told WTNH. “I called 911. My son then went to the bathroom, threw up and fell unconscious to the floor. He threw up again. My wife gave him another EpiPen while I called 911 again. Thank God, he is doing okay.”
In the viral video, Iannazzo can be heard referring to an employee’s “immigration status” and calling her an “immigrant loser” while demanding to know who put peanut butter in his son’s drink.
“When employees could not provide Iannazzo with the answer he became irate, yelling at the employees using a number of expletives,” police said. “He then threw a drink at an employee, which hit their right shoulder.”
Meanwhile, the irony of him having an Italian last name while calling someone an “immigrant”… LMMFO.
Following the incident, Merrill Lynch, where Iannazzo was employed as a financial advisor, announced he “is no longer employed at our firm.”
“Our company does not tolerate behavior of this kind,” the company said in a statement. “We immediately investigated and have taken action. This individual is no longer employed at our firm.”
In a statement to TMZ, Iannazzo apologized for being a racist a**hole.
“My actions at Robeks were wrong, and I deeply regret them,” he said. “They do not reflect my values or my character. I feel terrible that I lost my composure so completely.”
Iannazzo continued, “I was out of my mind with fear for him when I returned to Robeks, and I wish I had not done so. I also wish they had been more careful preparing my son’s beverage. I will be extending my apologies personally to the Robeks organization, particularly the staff that was working there that night.”
Frank J. Riccio II, Iannazzo’s attorney, took to Twitter to note that his client “stressed to the staff that the product must not contain peanuts” and that Iannazzo’s son “has a life-threatening peanut allergy.”
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