Man From Pittsburgh Dies In Bar Altercation Over Mask

PITTSBURGH, PA — A confrontation over wearing a mask in a New York bar turned deadly when an 80-year-old former Pittsburgh resident who was knocked to the floor suffered a serious head injury and later died.

Rocco Sapienza died on Oct. 1, four days after the encounter at Pamp's Red Zone Bar and Grill in West Seneca.

Donald Lewinski, 65, was charged with criminally negligent homicide in what could be the first case of its kind in the country, WKBW-TV reported.

Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said Sapienza confronted Lewinski over his lack of a mask, according to Syracuse.com. Lewinski allegedly pushed Sapienza had with both hands, causing him to fall to the floor.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, The Buffalo News reported.

Lewinski's attorney, Barry Covert, told The Buffalo News that Lewinski will plead not guilty to the homicide charge.

See Mr. Sapienza's obituary here.