Steve Buscemi, the popular actor known for his roles in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire” and numerous films, was the victim of a sudden, violent assault in New York City last week.
The incident occurred just before noon, in broad daylight, adding to a troubling rise in unprovoked street attacks across the city and furthering the notion that Manhattan is no longer a safe place.
In fact, the streets of the city are not even safe for a famous actor.
According to the New York Post, Buscemi, 66, suffered swelling to his face and left eye and was taken to Bellevue Hospital for treatment.
The assailant fled the scene and remained at large Sunday, according to the Post.
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“He is ok and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened to while also walking the streets of New York,” Buscemi’s publicist told the Post in a statement.
Out of all the celebrities to get punched, it should not have been Steve Buscemi. NYC is out of control. pic.twitter.com/ydmoQvFpWK
— John Ford (@PDXFato) May 13, 2024
Buscemi’s attack was the latest of several incidents involving celebrities in New York City recently.
Will violence in New York City soon grow worse?
On March 31, Buscemi’s colleague Michael Stuhlbarg, 55, who portrayed gangster Arnold Rothstein in “Boardwalk Empire,” was struck in the back of the neck with a rock by a vagrant while jogging on the Upper East Side on March 31.
Luckily, Stuhlbarg was able to walk away from the incident with minimal injuries.
Just three days prior, on March 28, reality TV star Bethenny Frankel used a TikTok video to recount a startling incident where she was struck in the face by a man during a visit to a New York City bakery, according to the Post.
The former “Real Housewives of New York City” star, deeply shaken by the random attack, abruptly canceled her apartment viewing plans, reportedly declaring, “This city is insane.”
In 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, actor Rick Moranis — known for his role in “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” — was punched by a stranger on Central Park West, near his apartment, early in the morning.
Moranis suffered head, back, and hip pain and sought medical evaluation before he reported the incident to the police.
Everyday people are also victims of a rising crime spree in the city.
On May 1, Kashaan Parks, was arrested in the Bronx after he allegedly used his belt to lasso and drag an unnamed woman to the ground before he placed her between two cars and sexually assaulted her.
“He choked me with a belt because he wanted to demand sex with me in exchange for money. And I said no, and I kept moving. So he grabbed from behind with a choking belt and dragged me to the ground over there by the cars and raped me,” the victim, who chose not to be identified, told WNBC-TV.
The attack was reportedly captured on surveillance video near East 152nd Street and Third Avenue.
Parks faces multiple charges including rape and assault, as police continue their investigation with the victim recovering and speaking out to protect others from facing a similar fate.
