NYC Candy Legend, 90, Brutalized Outside Shop He’s Run for Half-Century

Someone accosted a 90-year-old Manhattan candy store legend after soliciting him on the street earlier this week, threatening to kill him and beating him bloody outside the East Village shop he has run the last 50 years, police say.

The NYPD confirmed Thursday that Ray Alvarez was the victim in the 3 a.m. attack this past Tuesday just outside his candy store on Avenue A. According to police, a stranger carrying a package approached Alvarez outside his shop and asked if he wanted to buy the contents. Alvarez asked what was inside the package, at which point the stranger told another man to hold the parcel and threatened to kill the 90-year-old candy store owner, according to police.

The attacker then hit Alvarez on the left side of his head and face with an object described as being a belt with a heavy rock on the end. The 90-year-old was left bleeding as the suspect ran off along Avenue A.

Alvarez, who opened his shop in 1974, wasn’t immediately hospitalized because of the attack but did endure a black eye and bruising. Local blog EV Grieve shared photos of the proprietor after the incident. EV Grieve says Alvarez had walked outside for some air with another employee and spotted two men known to sell seltzer water in the area.

According to the narrative he told the blog, Alvarez declined the solicitation and both men left, then one returned to beat him up. The employee was hit in the chest but expected to be OK.

Police released a surveillance image of the suspect from the area around the time of the attack (above inset left). Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.

The investigation is ongoing.