7234: Beaten, But Not Broken Attack victim's friends come to his , aid (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: nozier <nozier@tradewind.net>

 02/28/2001 - Wednesday - Page A 5
 Beaten, But Not Broken Attack victim's friends come to his aid
  by Ron Howell Staff Writer_ NEWSDAY (NY)

 A Haitian immigrant who was brutally beaten over the weekend by a mob
of
 white men shouting racial epithets at him recalled the horror of the
assault
 yesterday.
 "When one of them pulled a gun out I thought he was going to shoot me
and I
  was going to die, but he hit me in the face with the pistol," Georges
Saint Louis
  said, speaking in the living room of his parents' home in Bayside.
 Witnesses have said at least a dozen and perhaps as many as 30 men may
have
 been involved in the assault outside the Byzantio restaurant and bar on
Bell
 Boulevard early Saturday. Saint Louis was the only black person in the
bar.
 "I was just there on the ground," Saint Louis continued, describing the
fury of
 punches and kicks that landed on almost every part of his body. "I just
gave up."
 But Saint Louis, 20, said he has not lost faith in his American
dream-to get an
 education, to perhaps become a lawyer someday, to enjoy the company of
other
 human beings regardless of their race.
 And he said he owes his continuing recovery, physical and emotional, to
two
 white friends who have remained by his side ever since the frightful
incident that
 began in the wee hours of Saturday morning.  Saint Louis said the
episode began when a white patron "purposely" stepped on  his foot and
instigated an argument. The frenzied attack by that person and a  horde
of others occurred on the streets outside the restaurant, he said.
Allen and Craig South, 27-year-old identical twins who were with Saint
Louis  when he was assaulted, say they are almost overcome with anger
and frustration  because of what their friend went through.  "I don't
even want to let him out of my sight," Craig South said, expressing
sorrow that he was unable to pull Saint Louis' attackers off him.  Allen
South said he was horrified to hear the attackers yelling at Saint
Louis, using the n-word and other racial epithets and saying things
like, "You belong in     Brooklyn selling crack." Craig was almost
gleeful as he said he had spoken with       detectives yesterday who
told him they have identified two more possible suspects. He said he
planned to look at pictures of the suspects later in the   evening.
 The brothers say as many as 30 white men kicked, pummeled and robbed
their
 friend of a gold chain and his wallet, continuing to beat him even as
he lay
 helpless on the sidewalk.  "I could probably pick out most all of
them," Craig said.
Two brothers, Angelo Gigliotti, 20, and Giuseppi Gigliotti, 19, of
Whitestone,
 were arrested at the scene and have been charged with robbery and
assault in the
 attack. They were ordered held on $5,000 bond.  The South brothers said
there was no doubt in their minds that race was a factor in the attack
on Saint Louis.
"You should have heard the words they were saying," Craig recalled,
still aghast.
 Saint Louis' face last night was bloated and his eyes were bloodshot.
He said he
was in constant pain and had difficulty sleeping. His chest hurt. He was
taking
painkillers. "The only place they didn't beat me or kick me was my
nose," he said, almost
 wondering why that particular part of his body was spared the onslaught
of fists
 and feet.
 Meanwhile, a group of black police officers yesterday asserted
authorities are
  dragging their feet in trying to locate other suspects in New York
City's latest
  racial attack.  "This area needs to be blanketed with fliers...with
detectives knocking on doors," said Lt. Eric Adams, head of 100 Blacks
in Law Enforcement.
  Adams and several other members of the black police organization held
a news
conference outside Byzantio.
 Police spokesman Tom Antenen said "it's an active investigation. The
detectives
 realize others might be involved and they're pursuing every lead." The
South
  brothers said they were pleased with the response of the officers from
the 111th
  Precinct at the time of the attack. And they said they think
investigators from the Police Department's bias unit are doing their
best to make as many arrests as possible.
  The manager of Byzantio yesterday said he did not believe the weekend
incident
 was racially motivated. "A lot of different people come in here,
Koreans, Chinese, Italians and other people," said Paul Grigoriou, the
manager. "Until two months ago, we had two  ladies working here who were
black." He said the incident involved a bunch of
 "kids who fight for nothing." "I don't think it was race," he said.