Quote:Sep 7, 2002 8:21 pm US/Eastern
(1010 WINS)-NEW YORK -- Yankees pitcher David Wells lost two teeth and was punched in the head when he was attacked by a man waving a butter knife at a diner early Saturday, police said.

Wells refused medical attention after the altercation at 5:50 a.m. at the restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

Rocco Graziosa, 27, was arrested and faces charges of assault and menacing.

Quote:'I beat up David Wells,'
barkeep brags to boss


THE ENEMY IS SECOND FROM THE RIGHT.....

By NICOLE BODE, ANTHONY McCARRON and MAKI BECKER
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Rocco Graziosa (2nd from r.) leaves Manhattan Central Booking with friends after release from jail yesterday.

The upper East Side bartender charged with sucker-punching a Yankees star pitcher and knocking out two of his teeth called his boss from jail to boast: "I beat up David Wells."
About 45 minutes after 5-foot-6 Rocco Graziosa was arrested for socking the 6-foot-4 Wells in Gracie's Corner diner on E. 86th St., New York's newest slugger left a cell phone message for Victor Skreli, his boss at Cafe Lex on Lexington Ave.

"Uh, I'm in jail," Graziosa, 27, said on the message, which Skreli played for the Daily News. "I'm not going to be able to make it to work tomorrow. I beat up David Wells from the Yankees and they're probably going to be holding me for a day or two."

Graziosa declined comment outside the Yonkers apartment he shares with his mother after being released on bail. Wells - who showed up at Yankee Stadium yesterday sporting a large red welt above his left eye, and missing his teeth - was uncharacteristically silent.

"I'm sure everyone can understand that because it is a police matter, I won't talk about it," Wells, 39, said through a team spokesman. "As far as pitching, I'm fine. Nothing about this will keep me from making this next start" Thursday.

But the fracas was the talk of the locker room. "How are your choppers today?" shortstop Derek Jeter teased Wells.

Bosses not amused

Yankee brass, who were trying to sort out exactly what happened, weren't laughing.

Asked if Wells might be subject to disciplinary action, general manager Brian Cashman said: "Everything's open. ... We're gathering the facts."

But the one voice that hadn't been heard from yet was George Steinbrenner. It was The Boss himself who overruled his baseball people and made the decision to bring Wells back to the Bombers this year - and Wells has rewarded him by losing 25 pounds and winning 16 games so far.

For Wells - who has a reputation as a late-night reveler, who broke his hand in a fight near his hometown of San Diego in 1997 and even threatened to kick Steinbrenner's butt in a clubhouse argument a few years ago - it was a reminder of his troubled past.

Graziosa's attorney charged that Wells was drunk during the Saturday morning fracas, and law enforcement sources said the pitcher appeared to have been drinking.

Yankees officials were counting on videotape from the diner's surveillance camera to figure out how the fight went down, sources said.

But diner owner Steve Nikolakakos said there was no tape in the machine.

Police said Graziosa and two pals stopped by Gracie's Corner shortly before 6 a.m. Saturday and saw the hurler eating breakfast with a friend. The three approached Wells to shake his hand, and then sat down to chat.

But the conversation turned ugly, with Graziosa telling Wells "[expletive] your mother," law enforcement sources said.

Famous for his sensitivity about his late mom, Wells told Graziosa to "take it easy," the sources said.

Graziosa first grabbed a table knife at the small 24-hour coffeeshop at E. 86th St. and First Ave., and then punched Wells' mouth, knocking out two teeth, cops said. He punched Wells twice more. Graziosa was not hurt.

But Skreli said Graziosa told him that Wells yelled: "Hey, little kid. Get out of my face."

Graziosa replied, "Listen, did I insult you or anything?"

Wells allegedly said, "No, you ain't insulted me or anything. Just get the Hell out of my face."

Skreli said Graziosa called himself a "die-hard Yankee fan" and swore he "never said one thing about [Wells'] mother."

Quote:diner owner Steve Nikolakakos