A former U.S. Marine was slashed while outside a Manhattan bar last night.
The incident occurred in front of the Turtle Bay Tavern on 2nd Avenue, between 52nd and 53rd Streets, in East Midtown, at 8 p.m. The victim, 35, apparently got into a fight inside the bar that spilled outside onto the sidewalk. He was stabbed on the upper right side of his back, PIX 11 reports.
The Post identifies the victim as Alfonso Matos and says he yelled, "You're a disgrace!" to a group of other service members. Matos was apparently upset about them drinking in uniform.
Some witnesses spoke to the Daily News; one said, "They were being annoying in the back of the bar, they were waving American flags. It turned into a beef."
The argument broke out on a stairway inside the joint, which touts itself as the “Home of the original dollar beers Wednesday” on a sign out front, before the men in fatigues were booted from the bar. One of them men had pulled out a blade during the heated exchange, witnesses said.
“They were all boasting and drinking a lot. The biggest guy there had an American flag in his hands,” said Jesus Ferrer, 45, a Bronx medical coder. “The big dude with the beard (Matos) said he could fight anyone in the place.”
Matos was taken to Bellevue Hospital, where he is in stable condition. According to WABC 7, "The group of service members ran away after the fight... Police said the suspect was wearing fatigues."
Police are investigating the incident.
