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Monkey In The Middle
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 5, 2004
Modified Mar 6, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 5, 2004
Modified Mar 6, 2008
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The local papers are enjoying the story of the attacking-macaque owner more than a barrel of monkeys: The Daily News finds more victims of disabled Steven Seidler's service monkey, Darla (pictured, left in Seidler's apartment). In a 2002 incident, a girl accidentally clipped Darla with her bike when Seidler was taking Darla for a walk, and Darla "reared and sank her teeth into the girl's knee." Like another incident a year ago, as well as Sunday's, this was reported to the police, but the city allowed Seidler to keep the monkey under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Post goes for the jugular, by nothing Seidler's prison time for dealing cocaine: "He was released in 1999, but still has the monkey on his back until his five-year probation ends in November." Plus, the Post visit 2 year-old Tommy Romano, who was bitten by Darla on Sunday:
He now sports two Snoopy bandages one where the monkey gnawed on him, the other where a technician drew a vial of blood to test for meningitis...When a reporter approached him, Tommy seemed like a normal 2-year-old, until asked how he was feeling.
"I'm scared of monkeys," he said, his good mood vanishing instantly.
NY Post, as much as Gothamist loves this story, stop going to Tommy's house - you're freaking him out!
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Steven Seidler
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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