Conn. Man Arrested, Fired for Racist Comments Made at Smoothie Shop Employees During Angry Tirade

A Connecticut man is facing criminal charges after video footage of him berating teenage employees at a smoothie shop during a racist rant went viral.

James Iannazzo, 48, can be seen in the footage from Saturday's incident yelling at the female employees of the Robeks in Fairfield before eventually throwing a drink at one of them.

In the video, shot by one of the shop's workers, Iannazzo shouts threats at the young women as he tries to force his way into an area of the shop reserved for employees.

A statement from Fairfield Police confirms the incident occurred, and that Iannazzo now faces charges of intimidation based on bias, breach of peace, and criminal trespass.

According to the statement, Iannazzo purchased a smoothie for his son at Robeks at about 1 p.m. on Saturday.

Thirty minutes later, police received a 911 call from his home seeking help for a child having a severe allergic reaction.

The child was taken to the nearest hospital for treatment.

"A short time later, Iannazzo returned to Robeks and confronted employees, yelling at them and demanding to know who had made the smoothie which contained peanuts, causing his child's allergic reaction," reads the statement.

"When employees could not provide Iannazzo with the answer, he became irate, yelling at the employees using a number of expletives," the statement continues, noting "he then threw a drink at an employee, which hit their right shoulder."

The employee was uninjured, the statement says.

"Iannazzo also made comments toward an employee referencing their immigration status," the statement adds. "Iannazzo was told to leave multiple times by the employees but remained inside and continued to yell insults at the employees. Iannazzo then attempted to open a locked door that led to an 'Employees Only' area where the employees were, behind the counter."

Iannazzo left before police could arrive, but was identified soon afterwards.

Iannazzo turned himself into police without incident.

"Iannazzo told Officers that he was upset about his son having a severe allergic reaction and he went back to the store as a result," the statement reads. "During the investigation, employees reported that Iannazzo never told them about the peanut allergy but had only requested that there be no peanut butter in his drink."

After the video went viral, Merrill Lynch, where Iannazzo had worked as a financial advisor, said it had fired him.

"Our company does not tolerate behavior of this kind," a statement from the company reads. "We immediately investigated and have taken action. This individual is no longer employed at our firm."

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Meanwhile, Iannazzo's attorney, Frank J. Riccio II, also issued a statement on his client's behalf.

"When faced with a dire situation for his son, Mr. Iannazzo's parental instinct kicked in and he acted out of anger and fear," the statement insists. "He is not a racist individual and deeply regrets his statements and actions during a moment of extreme emotional stress."

Iannazzo could not be reached for comment. He has not entered pleas to the charges, but will likely be asked to when he appears in Bridgeport Superior Court on Feb. 7.