A Connecticut man is under fire for hurling insults and a smoothie at young workers during a now-viral meltdown.
The customer said that when he ordered the smoothie, he told the staff his 17-year-old son was allergic to peanuts. But he says when his son drank the smoothie at home, he had a life-threatening allergic reaction and had to be rushed to the hospital.
When the father drove back to the Robeks smoothie shop in Fairfield to complain, he was captured on camera throwing a drink and yelling “immigrant loser” at workers.
“We have a customer who’s out of control. He’s been yelling racist things at us,” a worker said in a 911 call.
The angry customer had left the store by the time cops got there, but after the video was posted on social media, he was quickly identified.
James Iannazzo turned himself in and was charged with intimidation based on bigotry and breach of the peace.
“The bottom of my hair was all messed up from the smoothie,” said Gianna Miranda, the young woman who had the smoothie thrown at her.
Miranda claims that Iannazzo came in and ordered a peanut smoothie with no peanut butter.
There was no answer at Iannazzo’s door when tried to get his side of the story. He said in a statement, “My actions at [the smoothie store] were wrong, and I deeply regret them. I feel terrible that I lost my composure so completely.”
He says he was “out of [his] mind with fear” for his stricken son.
Iannazzo was also a financial adviser in wealth management at Merrill Lynch, who said in a statement that the company does not tolerate behavior of this kind, adding that he is no longer employed at the firm.