An employee was working inside Unregular Pizza on 4th Avenue near Union Square Sunday evening when a man walked into the shop and threatened him.
That's when the man picked up a glass saltshaker and assaulted the employee breaking his arm.
"It was just furious rage," co-owner Gabriele Lamonaca said. "I don't think he was really thinking anything other than harm us in any way."
Lamonaca followed him to take photos for the police and that's when the suspect came back and smashed the restaurant door.
"I'm mortified honestly," Lamonaca said.
Wife and co-owner Paola Sinisgalli says she thinks she knows who the suspect is.
"Unfortunately I realized that this person was a bit toxic for me, for him, for all of my friends," Sinisgalli said. "So five years ago I decided to completely lock him out of everything."
Unregular Pizza was one of five pizzerias across the country that competed in competed on Good Morning America's Ultimate Pizzeria last week but they did not take home the $10,000 grand prize.
The couple thinks their GMA appearance may have set off the suspect.
"He probably saw us on tv the other day, probably that's the only reason that I can think of, he got jealous and envious of us being there," Lamonaca said.
The owners are fearful the suspect may return and do even more harm.
"My fear now is that this person can come to my apartment," Sinisgalli said. "We have a 7-month-old boy, he can come here again. He could send someone to do something to us. And I don't wanna feel that way. I wanna feel safe."
No arrests have been made so far.
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