A former Merrill Lynch advisor caught on camera berating employees of a smoothie shop in a racially charged tirade is seeking to have the charges against him dismissed, according to a local newspaper report in Connecticut.
James Iannazzo, 48, has been charged with second-degree breach of the peace; first degree criminal trespass; and intimidation based on bigotry or bias, a felony.
In the video, which went viral, Iannazzo is seen yelling at employees and throwing a drink at one of them, reportedly because a smoothie they served him caused his son to have an allergic reaction.
According to the Connecticut Post’s website, Iannazzo appeared in Connecticut Superior Court today before Judge Ndidi Moses and applied for accelerated rehabilitation. Under Connecticut criminal courts, this program allows nonviolent offenders to avoid a criminal record that appears on background checks.
If accepted into the program, Iannazzo could be placed on up to two years of probation. If he commits no other crimes during that probation, the charges against him are dismissed. The paper noted that the employees of the smoothie shop would be given an opportunity to be heard during Iannazzo’s hearing on the application to enter the program.
The paper said Iannazzo and his lawyer, Eugene Riccio, declined comment as they later left the Golden Hill Street courthouse. Riccio did not return a call to Financial Advisor.
According to published reports, Iannazzo bought a smoothie at Robeks on Black Rock Turnpike in his hometown of Fairfield, Conn., on January 23. NBC News and other news outlets reported that police said Iannazzo called 911 from his home for a child having an allergic reaction to peanuts. The child was taken to a local hospital.
Iannazzo returned to the store and confronted employees. He can be seen on a three-minute video, filmed by one of the employees and posted on TikTok, demanding to know who had made the smoothie and that he wanted the number for corporate. The video, which is under the username @cjjbreezy, has been viewed by millions.
When the employees could not give him an answer about who made the smoothie, Iannazzo became increasingly irate, shouting multiple obscenities and calling the workers “stupid ignorant high school kids” and “immigrant losers.” The workers repeatedly asked him to leave and threatened to call the police, but he became more charged. He even flung the smoothie at a worker, hitting her and soiling her clothing, and the workers said he kept banging and pushing on the door for the employee entrance. One worker could be heard in the background calling the police.
Merrill Lynch fired Iannazzo immediately upon hearing about the incident. He had been with the firm since 1996. The CFP Board's Disciplinary and Ethics Commission suspended Iannazzo last month.
He is due back in court on April 8, the CTPost website said.