Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Monkey In The Middle
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 5, 2004
Modified Mar 6, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 5, 2004
Modified Mar 6, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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!
Tagged
animals
bike
cocaine
daily news
Disabilities Act
gothamist
new york
new york daily news
news
News: NYC
ny post
police
sports
Steven Seidler
the city
the daily news
The Police
the post
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
In the algorithm age, NYC college radio DJs are still broadcasting the funky stuff
We dropped by WNYU to see what the next generation of radio DJs is up to. The answer is "Br00tal Beats To Study/Relax To."
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 22, 2026 at 11:18 a.m. ET
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Arts & Entertainment
A Queens prop shop shutters, bunnies find a home uptown, and more openings and closings
Highlights of shifts in the city's business landscape.
By
Hannah Frishberg
A new film invites you to eavesdrop on one of the greatest conversations in NYC history
By
Sonia Rao
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
By
Sonia Rao
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .