Vazzy’s Osteria in Monroe, Connecticut has been connected to three distinct legal matters: a 2013 credit card fraud investigation involving diners at the Main Street restaurant, a state wage-theft finding that ordered about $16,000 in back wages and penalties at the Monroe location, and a 2021 criminal case against owner John Vazzano arising from events at his Bridgeport restaurant. The Monroe restaurant remains open at 415 Main Street.1Vazzy’s Osteria. Vazzy’s Osteria – Home
The 2013 Credit Card Fraud Investigation
In early 2013, Monroe police looked into reports of stolen credit card numbers from customers who had dined at Vazzy’s Osteria. A 41-year-old woman used her card at the restaurant on January 18, 2013, then found three fraudulent purchases on her account. After she received a replacement card and used it at the same restaurant on February 15, another $193 in fraudulent charges appeared days later.2Patch. Police Investigating Credit Card Fraud at Vazzy’s
A second victim, a 48-year-old woman who used her debit card at the restaurant on February 1, reported $457.28 in unauthorized charges. These included a $75 transaction at a gas station in Waynesboro, Georgia, and $382.28 originating from France. Police said at least two other victims came forward during the same period. Lt. Brian McCauley told reporters the restaurant was cooperating with investigators.2Patch. Police Investigating Credit Card Fraud at Vazzy’s
The file does not record whether anyone was identified or charged in the investigation.
Wage Theft Findings at the Monroe Location
In 2021, the Connecticut Department of Labor opened an investigation into wage practices at all five of John Vazzano’s restaurants after details in a criminal arrest warrant suggested he paid some staff “off the books in cash” and kept insufficient records.3New Haven Register. CT Labor Officials Probing Five of Restaurateur’s Businesses Vazzy’s Osteria in Monroe was one of the five locations covered.
The investigations, conducted between 2021 and 2022, found wage violations across all five restaurants. At the Monroe location, the Department of Labor recovered $16,000 in combined back wages and civil penalties for employees.4CT Grapevine. The Original Vazzy’s – Vazzano CT Restaurants The total across all five Vazzy’s businesses came to roughly $220,000 in back wages and penalties, with the largest share tied to the Bridgeport flagship.5Patch. Bridgeport Restaurant Fined $100K for Labor Violations
Owner John Vazzano’s Criminal Case
On February 17, 2021, John Vazzano turned himself in to the Connecticut Department of Justice and was charged with bribery of a witness (a felony), third-degree hindering prosecution (a felony), and interfering with an officer (a misdemeanor). He was released on a $50,000 bond.6Patch. Vazzy’s Restaurant Owner Charged With Bribery7CT Post. Restaurateur John Vazzano Seeks Probation
The charges did not arise from anything that happened at the Monroe restaurant. They stemmed from a 2019 investigation at The Original Vazzy’s in Bridgeport, where two kitchen employees were accused of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl. According to the arrest warrant, Vazzano allegedly tried to discourage the victim’s father from pursuing the case by offering the girl a job and a $1,000 Macy’s gift card. He was also accused of lying to the U.S. Marshals Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force about the whereabouts of the employees police were seeking.7CT Post. Restaurateur John Vazzano Seeks Probation6Patch. Vazzy’s Restaurant Owner Charged With Bribery
Vazzano applied for accelerated rehabilitation, a Connecticut pretrial program that allows charges to be dismissed after a period of probation. Superior Court Judge Kevin Russo granted the application on December 23, 2021. As a condition, Vazzano was required to host a luncheon for the Center for Family Justice, a Bridgeport-area organization that counsels survivors of sexual assault, and to commit no further crimes.8CT Post. Vazzy’s Owner John Vazzano Granted Probation He fulfilled the condition, and on February 22, 2022, the charges were formally dismissed.9Patch. Charges Against Bridgeport Restaurant Owner Dismissed Vazzano had served as a commissioner on the Trumbull Police Commission and resigned from that position after his arrest.
The Underlying Sexual Assault Case
The assault case against the two Bridgeport kitchen workers continued separately. Jaime Sena, a dishwasher, was charged in February 2020 with third-degree sexual assault and second-degree unlawful restraint.8CT Post. Vazzy’s Owner John Vazzano Granted Probation On March 14, 2022, he pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree sexual assault under a plea agreement carrying a potential sentence of up to two and a half years in prison. As a Mexican citizen, Sena also faced deportation.10CT Post. Vazzy’s Former Dishwasher Pleads Guilty to Sex Assault A second employee, Jose Tsenkush, was also sought by police in connection with the assault.
The Restaurant Today
Vazzy’s Osteria continues to operate at 415 Main Street in Monroe, offering dine-in, pickup, and delivery seven days a week.1Vazzy’s Osteria. Vazzy’s Osteria – Home It has also hosted community events, including a 2025 campaign rally for a Monroe town councilman.11The Monroe Sun. Vazzy’s Osteria