Harbe Nagi was 7 when he died in Menands. A comment under Taste of Italy’s Facebook page turned that news into an attack on his family’s faith. Sales at the Latham Shoppes restaurant dropped more than 60 percent after.
The post called Islam a horrific fake religion and a terror group. It claimed the family would have killed the boy if they lived in a Muslim country. It went out on the official restaurant account.
Frank Cappello told CBS6 Albany someone in his circle wrote it. His wife Alyssa admitted off camera she typed the words. She thought it was her personal account. She later called it an angry outburst and said they are not racist.
Protests formed outside the restaurant. Boycott calls spread online. The place closed temporary. Alyssa’s She’s Yar Lash & Beauty Bar locations around the Capital Region got fake appointments and harassment too.
She launched the GoFundMe called Help our family and businesses recover from crisis. Revenue fell from fake orders, cancellations and lost regulars. She wants money for payroll, rent and operating costs.
Alyssa framed the campaign as protecting their American dream after a mistake and critics piling on. The restaurant sits in Latham Shoppes. The comment linked straight to the boy’s death news.
The family still runs the Italian spot and the lash bars. The backlash hit both. The post under the restaurant name started it all.
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