Report: Giorgio's New York Style Pizzeria owner arrested after pointing gun at ex-employee

VERO BEACH, Fla. — A pizza shop owner threatened to shoot a former part-time employee earlier this month, according to a Vero Beach police report.

George Gugliemelli, owner of Giorgio's New York Style Pizzeria, told a detective he had been joking when he made the threat Feb. 10 to the woman as she left the restaurant in the 900 block of 17th Street, Vero Beach, the affidavit states. However, police used the employee's statements and a monitored phone conversation to charge Gugliemelli, 59, of the 800 block of Wasena Avenue, Sebastian, with aggravated assault with a firearm Monday.

A sign posted on the front window of the eatery stated the restaurant was closed Monday and would reopen sometime Tuesday afternoon. Gugliemelli posted $5,000 bail at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

The part-timer told police Gugliemelli was upset that someone at the business had contacted his mistress, the affidavit states. The employee, who was hired in December, denied having anything to do with the matter, but said Gugliemelli suspected her of making the call, she told police.

The employee said after the restaurant closed Feb. 10, Gugliemelli placed a black handgun on the counter as he counted tips. As she left the business, she said she saw her boss pointing the gun at her through a reflection in the glass.

"Now that you've got your back toward me, I can shoot you from behind," Gugliemelli told the woman, according to the affidavit.

The woman left the restaurant and told a friend what happened. She did not show up for work on Feb. 11 and reported the incident to Vero Beach police Feb. 12.

A detective set up the woman to make a monitored phone call to Gugliemelli about the incident. During the Feb. 13 call, Gugliemelli said he no longer blamed the employee for the incident involving his mistress and said he was "joshing" when he made the threat, the affidavit states.

"I was in a crazy mood that night," he said, according to the police transcript.

During his interview with police Monday, Gugliemelli again said he was joking. Gugliemelli also told detectives he had fired the woman for stealing money from him, but police said she had not been fired.

Officers performed a search warrant Friday and recovered a handgun, Detective Richard Chimenti said.