Customer Attacks DeCicco's Manager

As if things at DeCicco’s in Scarsdale Village aren’t hard enough, a crazed customer on a scooter made things even more difficult a few weeks ago.

First rumors were swirling that the store was going out of business. Shelves grew emptier and even essentials like milk, eggs and butter were scarce. Though locals wanted to support the store, it was tough to be loyal when they were unable to find what they needed.

Manager Walter Wadwick was busy reassuring customers that shelves would soon be stocked and the store would return to normal when a bizarre incident shook him to his core.

It started on Tuesday June 4 when a customer on a scooter arrived with cans and bottles on board to get credit for his returns. He put the bottles and cans in the machine outside and then came inside with his receipts in hand to give to the cashier for credit. The cashier was unable to scan the bar codes and had to input each code by hand. The customer got antsy and then angry and started to berate and curse the cashier. Another customer was on line behind the man was in a rush and attempted to give $5 to the cashier for her coffee so she could leave. The angry man took her on, yelling “Shut the fxxx up – you don’t know who the fxxx I am.” The cashier was frightened but eventually gave the man his money and he left the store.

The following day, Wednesday June 5, the man on the scooter returned, but this time the cashier was able to alert Walter, the manager.

Walter went to the front of the store and pretended to be a customer. The angry customer was cursing into the air and Walter turned to him and said, “It sounds like you are having a bad morning. Please leave the store.”

More agitated, the man yelled at Walter, saying “Who the fxxx are you? You don’t know who you are talking to.”

The manager again urged him to “Please buy your stuff and leave.”

The man then moved into Walter’s face, until their noses were touching. Walter pushed him away. Then the customer spat on him twice. Walter turned around to call the other store manager and when he turned around again the customer took him by surprise, clobbering him in the face with a closed fist and throwing Walter to the floor. Walter hit his head hard and passed out from the impact of the assault. Fortunately, his glasses flew off rather than breaking and cutting his face.

When he came to, he found himself sitting in a chair at the back of the store. SVAC arrived and took measures to revive him and guided him into the ambulance to take him to the hospital. The man left quickly on his scooter before he could be apprehended.

After leaving the hospital Walter signed an order of protection against the man which would bar him from entering the store.

But a few days later, on June 10, the assailant appeared again on his scooter. This time Walter called 911 immediately. Police arrived quickly, arrested him, and put him into the police cruiser. He was brought to headquarters, arrested for assault in the 3rd degree and given a court appearance date. He was identified as Robert Mahoney, age 47 of Yonkers and has been seen around Scarsdale on his scooter since the assault.

Walter says, “At 61 I have never had anyone spit on me. I am alive and it could have been a lot worse.” About Mahoney he warned people to steer clear of him and said, “He should get help.”