Merrill Lynch fires James Iannazzo after arrest for TikTok filmed rant

Merrill Lynch fired a monetary advisor in Connecticut after he was arrested for hurling a drink at a smoothie-store employee in an expletive-laden rant that was captured by a viral TikTok video.

“F—ing silly, f—ing ignorant highschool children,” ranted James Iannazzo, 48, on the TikTok video taken in a Robeks retailer in Fairfield on Saturday.

Iannazzo, who had labored for Merrill Lynch since 1995, was enraged that day after his nut-allergic son went into life-threatening anaphylactic shock after having a drink from the shop, which led to the 17-year-old boy’s hospitalization.

The video reveals Iannazzo on the retailer’s counter, loudly demanding to know who had made the drink for his son. It additionally reveals him refusing to go away then employees informed them they didn’t know, and once they informed him repeatedly to go away due to his conduct.

“I wish to communicate to the f—ing one who made this drink,” he yelled.

“F—ing b—h,” Iannazzo fumes at a feminine employee within the story earlier than tossing the drink at her, the video reveals.

“You f—ing immigrant, loser,” the Fairfield resident then says earlier than making an attempt to enter an space of the shop marked “workers solely.”

Iannazzo was arrested Saturday after turning himself in, and charged with “intimidation primarily based on bigotry or bias within the second diploma, second-degree breach of peace, and first-degree legal trespass. He is because of seem in Bridgeport Superior Court docket on Feb. 7.

Iannazzo’s lawyer Frank Riccio mentioned in an announcement, “He deeply regrets his actions and acted utterly out of character. 

Merrill Lynch fired Iannazzo on Sunday, after changing into conscious of the TikTok video, which has garnered greater than 2.6. million views after it was posted on Twitter.

“Our firm doesn’t tolerate habits of this type,” mentioned Merrill Lynch spokesman Invoice Halldin

“We instantly investigated and have taken motion.  This particular person is not employed at our agency,” mentioned Haldin, referring to the funding and wealth administration division of Financial institution of America.

Social media websites broadly shared the video, with some individuals condemning Iannazzo’s actions and applauding his termination.

Some others mentioned that though they didn’t excuse his throwing the drink on the employee, they understood he was appearing due to excessive emotion as a result of son’s medical state, and questioned why Merrill Lynch was so fast to fireplace him.

Iannazzo in an announcement mentioned, “My actions at Robek’s have been flawed, and I deeply remorse them. They don’t replicate my values or my character. I really feel horrible that I misplaced my composure so utterly.”

“I had returned to Robek’s to find out what elements have been within the smoothie that I had beforehand ordered. I made my regrettable feedback as a result of my 17-year-old son was taken to the hospital affected by life threatening anaphylactic shock,” Iannazzo mentioned. “He collapsed at our dwelling whereas ingesting the smoothie from Robek’s, which contained some type of nut product, after I had suggested them of his nut allergy once I ordered his drink.” 

“After he began to drink his smoothie, my son misplaced the capability to breathe correctly; his lips and face swelled up, and he required an EpiPen shot, but it surely didn’t supply him aid. I referred to as 911.  My son then went to the lavatory, threw up and fell unconscious to the ground. He threw up once more,” Iannazzo mentioned.

“My spouse gave him one other EpiPen whereas I referred to as 911 once more.  Thank God, he’s doing okay. I would wish to thank my spouse and the primary responders who I consider saved his life. That is the worst nightmare of each guardian whose baby has the same allergy.” 

“I used to be out of my thoughts with worry for him once I returned to Robek’s, and I want I had not accomplished so. I additionally want that they had been extra cautious making ready my son’s beverage. I will probably be extending my apologies personally to the Robek’s group, notably the employees that was working there that night time.”

 Fairfield Police mentioned that on Saturday afternoon they acquired “quite a few calls from workers … reporting a buyer was throwing issues, yelling at workers, and refusing to go away.”

A subsequent investigation by cops revealed that Iannazzo had referred to as 911 requesting emergency employees to his dwelling “for a juvenile affected by an allergic response and was later transported to an space hospital.”

“A short while later, Iannazzo returned to Robeks and confronted workers, yelling at them and demanding to know who had made the smoothie which contained peanuts, inflicting his kid’s allergic response,” police mentioned.

“When workers couldn’t present Iannazzo with the reply he grew to become irate, yelling on the workers utilizing a variety of expletives. He then threw a drink at an worker, which hit their proper shoulder.”

“Iannazzo was informed to go away a number of instances by the workers however remained inside and continued to yell insults on the workers,” police mentioned.

“Iannazzo then tried to open a locked door that led to an “Staff Solely” space the place the workers have been, behind the counter.”

Police mentioned retailer employees informed cops that “Iannazzo by no means informed them in regards to the peanut allergy however had solely requested that there be no peanut butter in his drink.”