New York Daily News

Relives fan’s slur with every Yankee game: dad

- BY LEONARD GREENE

THE developmen­tally disabled boy who was berated by a foul fan at a Yankees game last week remains scarred over the incident, his dad said Sunday.

Danny DiMarco said his son Luciano, 4, can’t watch his favorite team without hearing the word “retarded” — the insult a boorish fan hurled at the boy during a game Tuesday night.

“My son was really hurt and affected by it,” DiMarco said. “He was shaking and hysterical­ly crying. He has been repeating the word every day since Tuesday.”

That’s when a fan at the game turned around and lit into the youngster with language usually reserved only for managers arguing with umpires.

The Westcheste­r County boy’s offense? He allegedly kicked the man’s chair.

“What is your f-----g problem?” the man shouted at the boy, according to DiMarco. “What are you, retarded?” A recording of the clash, taken by Luciano’s mom, Angelica DiMarco, went viral, sparking outrage over the man’s outburst.

Danny DiMarco, 27, said he resisted the urge to toss the guy off the Yankee Stadium balcony.

“I would have loved to punch the guy in the face right there,” he told the Daily News.

“If I would have hit him, everything would have been on me and I would have been the bad guy.”

DiMarco said the man showed no interest in picking a fight with someone his own size.

“The guy would not make eye contact with me or my wife,” DiMarco said.

“Everything he was saying was directed toward my son. I don’t understand why you’re yelling at the kid, when I’m right here. My son has special needs. That’s all I said.”

Luciano’s parents said they felt the Bronx Bombers did not adequately addressing the incident as it happened.

“I want them to be more disability-friendly,” Angelica DiMarco said.

“They do all these autism awareness things at the Stadium, but I don’t see them incorporat­ing it into their everyday games.”

The timing of the incident made it difficult to talk with everyone involved and arrange for a seat relocation, a Yankees spokesman said Sunday.

The Stadium sets aside “quiet spaces” for adults or kids with sensory overload issues, such as veterans or children with autism, the spokesman said.

Yankees brass said they are working with the DiMarcos to get them back to the Bronx soon.

But Luciano’s parents said they haven’t heard a word from the team.

“I want them to come up with a full game plan in case this happens with any other family again,” Danny DiMarco said.

“He loves playing baseball. He loves watching baseball. This is a major setback.He enjoyed going to the game. It just breaks my heart”

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