An 87-year-old Manhattan man fought off two alleged thieves who tried to snatch his gold Rolex in a daylight attack outside a senior center, leaving the suspects to flee and the couple shaken but largely unharmed.
Lawrence Schwartz and his wife, Joanna Cuccia, were entering the Stein Senior Center in Manhattan at about 11 a.m. on Wednesday when a man approached the pair and asked for directions to a Walmart, according to interviews the couple gave to local outlets. Cuccia replied there are no Walmarts in Manhattan, and the man then asked if she could speak with his wife, who was sitting in a Jeep nearby. The woman began showing Cuccia jewelry and then grabbed her arm, the couple said, scratching Cuccia while attempting to remove accessories.
Schwartz said the female suspect then reached for his arm and tried to remove his watch, a gold Rolex President he described as highly visible and valuable. He told CBS that the woman even placed a knockoff Rolex on his wrist during the struggle. Schwartz, who said he lifts weights daily, has taken self-defense and boxing classes and served in the Air Force, said he reacted immediately and used his training to force the woman to release him. "Bing, bang, boom ... It happened in milliseconds," he told CBS.
The couple said Schwartz twisted the woman’s arm while she was still seated in the vehicle and threw punches, causing the pair of alleged suspects to flee the scene. Both Schwartz and Cuccia sustained minor scratches and bruises but were able to keep their belongings, including the real watch, which has since been taken to a repair shop for fixes the couple said they will pay for out of pocket. They visited the repair shop before reporting the incident to police, according to their accounts; the suspects have not been identified.
Schwartz said he had previously owned another Rolex that was stolen, and he was unwilling to surrender the timepiece again. Cuccia told ABC7 that the attack changed how she will interact with strangers: "I love New York, all my life I've helped tourists. But I won't do it again."
The couple reported the incident to authorities after stopping at a watch repair store. Police are investigating, and no arrests have been reported. The attack was a brief but violent encounter in daylight outside a community center frequented by seniors, and it highlights a pattern of street-level scams that can involve distraction and fast, coordinated maneuvers. Schwartz and Cuccia said they were surprised by the confrontation and are seeking justice, while acknowledging they escaped a potentially more serious loss.
Authorities have not released additional details about suspects or whether similar incidents have been reported in the immediate area. Schwartz and his wife said the episode was the first time they had faced such an attempt to rob them on the street, though Schwartz said he has had other run-ins over the years. The couple is continuing with their daily routines but said they remain wary of unsolicited approaches on the street.