“Boardwalk Empire” star Steve Buscemi is recovering after being brutally attacked last week by an unidentified assailant in New York City.
The Brooklyn native, who served as a New York City firefighter in the early 80s before switching careers to pursue acting, was assaulted in Midtown Manhattan just before noon on May 8. The award-winning actor’s publicist told The Epoch Times via email that the 66-year-old is yet “another victim of a random act of violence in the city.”
Mr. Buscemi’s publicist indicated that the actor “is ok and appreciates everyone’s well wishes.” However, the publicist said the “Fargo” star was “incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of NY.”
A spokesperson for the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information (DCPI) told The Epoch Times via phone that police officers responded to a 911 call regarding an assault that took place at 369 3rd Avenue in Kips Bay, a neighborhood located on the east side of New York City’s Manhattan borough.
The spokeswoman said a 66-year-old male was “punched in the face” by an “unidentified individual” and was subsequently transported to Bellevue Hospital by emergency medical services in “stable condition,” suffering from only minor injuries to his face, including “bruising, swelling, and bleeding” to his left eye. However, the DCPI spokeswoman could not confirm whether or not the actor was the purported victim in the incident.
The suspect in question, who promptly fled the scene following the attack, was “a male with dark complexion,” according to the spokeswoman, “wearing a dark-colored baseball style cap, blue t-shirt, black pants, white sneakers, and carrying a book bag” at the time of the incident.
NYC’s Spate of Violent Crimes
Mr. Buscemi’s brutal attack comes a little over a month after fellow “Boardwalk Empire” actor Michael Stuhlbarg was also physically assaulted while strolling through New York City.The “Dopesick” star was randomly attacked by a homeless man on the evening of March 31 as he was walking through the Manhattan borough’s famed Central Park. The vagrant, later identified as Xavier Israel, threw a rock, striking the 55-year-old in the head.
A DCPI spokesperson told The Epoch Times via email that Mr. Stuhlbarg chased the 27-year-old suspect, who was later apprehended by police officers without further incident. The actor suffered an abrasion on the back of his neck as a result of the attack, and Mr. Israel was charged with assault in connection to the incident.
On the same day of Mr. Stuhlbarg’s attack, Broadway star John Cardoza was also victimized. The musical theater performer took to social media to share that he had been “held at gunpoint” by a panhandler during a robbery, which occurred inside a Dunkin' location in Upper Manhattan on the afternoon of Easter Sunday.
NYC’s Crime Statistics
Despite the spate of violent attacks plaguing New York City, citywide statistics indicate that major crimes have been on the decline in recent months.In April, the Big Apple saw nearly 500 fewer major crimes throughout the city compared to the same month last year, according to the New York Police Department (NYPD) on May 7. Murders, felony assaults, burglaries, grand larceny, grand larceny auto, and shooting incidents were all down by 30.3, 1.9, 10.6, 6.9, 10.9, and 15.5 percent, respectively. Robberies saw a 7.2 percent surge to 1,326 thefts that month, up from 1,237 the previous year.
The NYPD stated that crimes also saw “downward trends” throughout the first quarter of the year.
“New York City saw continued reductions in overall crime through the first quarter of 2024, both above ground, on streets throughout the five boroughs, and below ground, within the nation’s largest subway system,” the NYPD indicated in a separate press release.
In March, murders were down 19.4 percent, burglaries by 17.4 percent, grand larceny by 7 percent, and incidents of grand larceny auto dropped 10.9 percent compared to the same month last year. Rapes increased by 12.1 percent, while felony assaults were up by 5.5 percent.
On Mar. 6, New York City Mayor Eric Adams took to X, formerly Twitter, to emphasize how safe he believes the city is.
