Merrick La Piazza employee hit co-worker in the head with pizza peel during fight, police say

Nassau County police said two employees of a Merrick pizzeria turned a debate over “a work-related issue” into a full-blown argument Saturday that ended when one of the workers hit the other one in the head with “a large pizza peel,” causing a laceration — before fleeing the scene.

Seventh Squad detectives said worker John Vano, 50, of Franklin Square, surrendered himself Sunday to the Seventh Precinct in Seaford.

He was charged with second-degree assault and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.

Information about his arraignment Monday in First District Court in Hempstead and whether he has representation was unavailable Monday evening.

The incident happened at La Piazza, located at 2191 Merrick Rd., at about 8:15 p.m. Saturday. Police said that wielding the peel — a handled tool used to move pizza and other baked items in and out of the oven — Vano “proceeded to strike” his 42-year-old co-worker in the head during an argument that turned heated. 

The victim was transported to a hospital for treatment, police said.

A woman who answered the phone at La Piazza on Monday said she was unaware of any incident — and, when told of the police account, said: “Yeah, I don’t think that’s what happened.” She then hung up.

In addition to its pizzeria and sit-down restaurant, La Piazza has an adjacent catering hall, and locations in Melville and Plainview, according to its website.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”