Carrabba's Restaurant Founder Arrested Twice in Three Days
A wealthy Texas restaurateur was arrested twice in three days for terrorizing the staff of a winery he used to own with a golf cart, a knife, and a hammer.
Police say that Carrabba's Italian Grill co-founder Damian Mandola was first arrested on Thursday after he attempted to break in to the Duchman Family Winery, which he was a co-owner of until 2010.
Witnesses say Mandola recklessly drove his golf cart to the winery and tried to break in to steal a bottle of wine.
Mandola posted a $5,000 bond the same day.
But two days later, he was back in his golf cart, terrorizing the staff.
"Upon arriving back at the winery," the Duchman employee said, "an employee in the tasting room told me that Damian was on his 'Mule' — basically an all-terrain golf cart — and he was headed behind the winery. I headed outside, and upon reaching the corner of the building I heard a tire burst, which was the tire of my Toyota Tacoma. As I rounded the corner I witnessed Damian smash the back window of my truck."
The Duchman employee then took a few photos of Mandola brandishing a knife and a hammer, which are listed in the arrest report as "deadly weapons." According to the employee, Mandola threatened him, called him "a few choice names," and drove away on the golf cart. The employee then called the police.
Mandola has a long-running feud with the Duchmans, who were his former business partners, according to the Houston Press.
It's not Mandola's first run-in with police in the area—in 2009, he and his wife were accused of having their neighbor's dogs killed.
[image via