BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — A Buffalo man was brutally attacked while on a trip to Dublin, Ireland. Stephen Termini, 57, was assaulted by teenagers near the Store Street garda station.
His son said his father is in critical condition from the beating and is in a coma, and he is at risk of losing his eye.
“He might lose an eye. We're not really sure. There haven't been too many updates. Everything that I’ve posted online about — he was in a coma. He’s stable, at the very least,” described Michael Rizzuto. “What we were told was, he was my minding his own business, and three kids just randomly assaulted them, and I’ve done my own digging and you know, research, and seems like it's a common thing for tourists over there to just get attacked. I guess where he was down in that area is not the safest part. and I've had a lot of people reach out to me confirming that."
Brothers Michael & Jesse Rizzuto of Cheektowaga tell me they were stunned to learn their father was brutally attacked by teenagers on the streets of Dublin late last week.
“I have a lot of emotions. my head's just been spinning,” expressed Michael Rizzuto, son. “We’re hoping to get some peace when we get other there,” remarked Jesse Rizzuto.
The family said his dad had saved up for the trip to Dublin. Termini's sons say their dad regularly traveled to Ireland, a place he wanted to live, and was attacked just a day after he arrived in Dublin.
They say their father is a "jack of all trades" and loves music and it is his lifelong dream to live in Ireland. Proud of his Irish roots, he was finally ready to do that when he arrived last week.
“He kind of turned his life around after you know, struggling for a while and he finally was able to save up and do it and go out there and live his dream. you know, not many people can say that. For him to be able to go over there and, you know, I’m sure it's the happiest he's ever been and everything else you know, it's too good to be true sometimes,” replied Jesse Rizzuto.
Now both these brothers are desperately trying to secure their passports to travel to Ireland to be by their dad's side.
Rizzuto also established a Gofundme page to help his father saying it was “an unprovoked attack”. It is exploding with help hearing from all over the world and including Ireland.
“It feels great to know somebody that has never met us or our father or anything else can sit down and say, hey, let us know when you get off the plane and we just want to give you a hug and say, you know, we apologize,” responded Jesse Rizzuto.
"We'll be over there as soon as we can," declared Michael Rizzuto.
“This is a photo of my biological father (Stephen Termini) along with myself (Michael Rizzuto) and my brother ( Jesse Rizzuto ). Upon returning home from tour with my band Kissing Candice I received the news that there was an unprovoked attack by multiple people on my father in Dublin, Ireland,” Rizzuto wrote on the Gofundme page.
The son also wrote “The brutal attack has left my father in a coma after suffering various injuries. He is currently in critical condition with what I am told are life-altering injuries. I am receiving news of this situation as it comes in through the media alongside everyone else.”
Rizzuto asks the community to send “healing vibes” to his father as his family works to learn more about the situation.
Also posted on the Gofundme page was this message from Termini’s sister, Michele:
From his beloved sister, Michelle
"My brother had been working at a galvanizing plant, saving every penny to afford the trip (after losing his wife to illness last April). He had always dreamed of visiting Ireland. He was trying to trace our family that emigrated to the US from Dublin. What we were told as children was that our grandfather, Charles Wilson, had been a painter, painting cathedrals in Dublin. His mother, Ann Donnelly was from county Mayo. Its been difficult to find any trace of them from here, so he thought perhaps he could learn more in Ireland. Our mother's last request was to be buried in Ireland (2004). He was unable to attend the ceremony at the time, but longed to visit her final resting place. He has 2 sons, Michael and Jesse who were denied knowledge of their Irish Heritage. My husband and I are recently retired nurses who served on the "Front Lines" of the Covid pandemic. I didn't worry about my little brother visiting Ireland, as he's been a long time traveler. Steve's love of music (we were a very musical family) and art appreciation were (thankfully) passed on to his children. We feel so very helpless as none of us can afford the trip to be with him in his time of dire need. I understand that he may lose one of his eyes and suffer lifelong disability from this unfortunate incident. Thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers. God bless yall!"
Police in Dublin arrested one of the juveniles involved in the beating Sunday. He is being held on bail and is scheduled to appear later this week in a Children’s Court.
“We’ve spoken to investigators. we're in contact with them. We can't release everything that we're told,” noted. Michael Rizzuto. "They have been very helpful. And I actually have faith and then they got one of the three guys, so hopefully they get the rest."
