New York City –
The man charged with assaulting actor Steve Buscemi on a Midtown street has been held in jail on bond in New York, prosecutors said.
Police have said the 66-year-old actor — known for his roles in “Boardwalk Empire,” and “Fargo,” among other performances — was walking in Manhattan on May 8 when a stranger punched him in the face. Police arrested a man Friday in connection with the assault, three days after having released a photo of the suspect.
Buscemi’s publisher has confirmed the attack, and said the actor was treated at a hospital with injuries to his eye but was otherwise okay.
The accused man, who is 50 years old, was arraigned on Saturday and the judge set bail at US$50,000, prosecutors said. It was unclear if the defendant had a lawyer who could speak for him. A phone message has been left with the local public defender’s office. The suspect is due back in court on Thursday.
The criminal complaint alleges the man punched two people at the time, but authorities did not name them. It also says the attack on Buscemi was captured by surveillance video.
In March, Buscemi’s “Boardwalk Empire” co-star Michael Stuhlbarg was attacked, by a different stranger. The person allegedly hit him in the back of the neck with a rock in Manhattan’s Central Park.
