An armless Manhattan panhandler who was choked and robbed as he sat in his wheelchair outside Bergdorf Goodman sadly told The Post on Monday, “The American dream is over.”
Frankie Martinez, 40, said he’s been panhandling outside the posh store for five years and never had an issue until a cowardly crook attacked him and took his phone Wednesday.
“This city is not what it used to be,” said Martinez, who is without arms and most of his legs. “There are not enough police on the street. There should be more police patrolling the street so we can feel safe again.
“I don’t see a good future for this country right now,” he said. “The American dream is over. Everyone in this country is just trying to make money however they can. It’s chaos.”
Martinez, who lives in The Bronx but also splits time in his native Dominican Republic, was at his usual panhandling spot on Fifth Avenue — where he is a well-liked fixture — when the brute came up to him and attacked him.
“The man came up to me, pointed his finger into my throat and start choking me,” he said. “He attacked me suddenly. A man buying a hot dog ran over to help. That’s when the attacker pulled out a knife. Then he ran away with my phone.
Police said this is the thief who choked and robbed the wheelchair-bound victim. DCPI“I said, ‘Take whatever you want, I don’t want to fight.’ The man said if I try to do anything, he will kill me,” Martinez said.
According to a police source, the cruel suspect threatened Martinez, warning him, “I just got out of jail — I will kill you right now.”
Police have since released surveillance photos of the robber, who remains on the loose.
“I don’t feel safe,” Martinez said. “I feel so, so bad. I’m afraid. I have not been able to sleep since I was attacked.”
Frankie Marinez, 40, says he no longer feels safe in New York after he was robbed. J. Messerschmidt/NY PostHe is a familiar sight outside the upscale Midtown retailer, with others on the block saying Martinez has always been polite and pleasant.
“He’s a very nice guy. He doesn’t bother anyone,” sidewalk fur salesman Yusef Kareem said. “He always says, ‘Good morning’ and gives me a nod. I feel I’m a very good judge of character, and I think he’s a nice guy.
“Sure, he’s always panhandling,” Kareem said. “But a lot of people come and panhandle around here. He doesn’t seem the type to instigate anything.”
