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Couple: Guards roughed us up at Billy Joel concert

BY ANTHONY M. DESTEFANO | anthony.destefano@newsday.com

7:16 PM EDT, July 24, 2008

A New Jersey couple are in a rip-roaring New York state of mind -- as in a possible lawsuit -- after they claimed they were roughed up and handcuffed by security guards during last Friday's Billy Joel concert at Shea Stadium.

In a notice of claim filed with the city comptroller's office, Bryan and Wendy Siegel of North Brunswick, N.J., charge that they were roughed up by stadium security guards. The action puts the city on notice that the Siegels plan to file a $5.5-million lawsuit.

The incident occurred, according to the couple's lawyer, Sanford Rubenstein of Brooklyn, after they intervened in a dispute an older couple had with four rowdy, beer-swilling and possibly drunk women during Joel's farewell concert to the stadium, which is to be torn down after this baseball season.

According to Rubenstein, when the Siegels tried to intervene on behalf of the older couple, security guards roughed up the Siegels and Bryan Siegel, 28, was handcuffed. Rubenstein said Wendy Siegel, 26, received a bruise in the incident but wasn't handcuffed.

"It is a travesty that two innocent people attempt to tell the truth to Shea Stadium security about the victimization of an elderly couple get assaulted by Shea Stadium security, one charged with a criminal act , when they did nothing wrong," Rubenstein said yesterday.

Rubenstein said the notice was filed against the city, something that has to be done before a lawsuit is filed, because the city owns Shea Stadium. As a result, the Siegels have to put the city on notice of the claim even though it appears the guards were employees of Shea Stadium, he said.

"We haven't received the lawsuit, but as soon as we do, we will review it thoroughly," said Parks Department spokesman Phil Abramson.

"We have no report on the matter and are looking into it," said Mets spokesman Jay Horowitz.