Bias attack at beer fest: Victim a 'dear, sweet person'

"It's horrible," said the manager, who declined to give her name. "This is the first time anything like this has happened in all the years I've been here, and that's a long time. The person it happened to is a dear, sweet, kind person."
      Police said that at the Plattdeutsche Park Restaurant's annual Bavarian Beer Festival on June 11, two white men were upset that an unidentified 31-year-old black man was talking to a white woman. Eric Mattmuller, 31, and Patrick Ryan, 29, both from Syosset, allegedly walked up to the black man at about 10:40 p.m., and Mattmuller allegedly cracked a large ceramic beer stein twice over his head. The bartender jumped over the bar and pulled Mattmuller and Ryan off the bloody victim, and Mattmuller allegedly shouted racial slurs as they were being hauled out of the park behind the restaurant by staff, who immediately called police.
      Fifth Precinct police officer Edward Powell arrived and approached Mattmuller's minivan, but the men sped away, police said.
      The victim was taken to Winthrop University Hospital, where he received a dozen stitches and four staples to close the head wound.
      "It's horrible that this took place," said the manager. "It's unbelievable that one person can ruin a whole weekend of fun."
      On July 12, just over a month to the day after the attack, Ryan was arrested at his home. Mattmuller was taken into custody less than an hour later in Shirley. "There was an in-depth investigation that culminated with these arrests," said Sgt. Robert Galgano of the Fifth Squad. Sources said police were able to identify Mattmuller and Ryan based on interviews with bar patrons and restaurant staff.
      The men pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree assault as a hate crime on July 14. Neither Ryan's attorney, David Galison, nor Mattmuller's attorney, Scott Limmer, returned calls for comment.
      Plattduetsche hosted its 122nd annual celebration of German-American heritage, Volksfest, last weekend.
Comments about this story?Bzanzonico@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 240.