James Lanuzo

Connecticut man arrested after launching racist tirade against workers of smoothie shop.

By Edward Era Barbacena

A Connecticut white middle-aged man and father is accused of launching into a racist tirade and tossing a drink at a worker in a smoothie shop Saturday after his son reportedly suffered an allergic reaction, police said.

James Iannazzo, 48, was arrested and charged with a hate crime following the wild scene at Robeks in Fairfield shortly before 2:30 p.m., according to the Fairfield Police Department.

The chaos began when Iannazzo returned home with a smoothie from the business that purportedly contained peanuts — causing the allergic reaction that sent his son to the hospital, authorities said

The irate father returned to Robeks and screamed at workers, demanding to know who made the smoothie containing the allergen, police said.

After an expletive-ridden outburst, Iannazzo allegedly tossed a beverage at an employee and commented on the immigration status of another worker, cops said.

He also allegedly tried to burst into an employees-only area, police said,

The father fled the store before police arrived. He was later arrested and admitted to officers he went back to the store after becoming upset about his son’s severe allergic reaction, according to police.

Workers told investigators that Iannazzo asked for no peanut butter in the smoothie, but did not note the request was because of an allergy.

In a statement provided through a spokesperson, Iannazzo apologized for his comments but insisted that he advised the staff of his son’s nut allergy when ordering. 

“My actions at Robek’s were wrong, and I deeply regret them. They do not reflect my values or my character. I feel terrible that I lost my composure so completely,” the father said in the statement. “I had returned to Robek’s to determine what ingredients were in the smoothie that I had previously ordered.”

The father added that his son required two EpiPen shots and lost consciousness on their bathroom floor before he made it to the hospital.  

Iannazzo was charged with intimidation based on bigotry or bias, breach of peace and criminal trespass.