Qns. bar Bravest is called ‘great guy’
‘Devastated’ after his allegedly fatal punch
An FDNY firefighter accused of throwing a punch that ended a man’s life during a brawl outside their local bar is “devastated” by the outcome, neighbors said Sunday.
Justin Deieso, 35, allegedly delivered a single blow to Devin Deegan outside Terrace Inn Bar & Grill in Whitestone, Queens, on Saturday.
“He’s a great guy,” said a neighbor who gave only her first name, Annie. “I’m sick over it. And I’m sick in my heart for him because he’s devastated over this. He’s not the kind of fella who goes out and does that.”
Neighbors said Deieso is a former Marine who applied to be both a cop and a firefighter after his military service, ending up with the FDNY.
Deieso, who was assigned to Ladder Co. 122 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, was suspended without pay after his arrest, FDNY officials said.
“He’s a good-hearted, community-minded Marine for his country,” Annie said. “He’s a Marine, he’s a firefighter, he pulls people out of buildings. … This is a heartbreaker for us.”
Deieso, who has been with the FDNY for seven years, was off-duty when he punched Deegan, 55, in the face about 4 a.m. on Saturday, causing him to fall down and suffer a heart attack, cops believe. Deegan died at Flushing Hospital later that day.
He was released without bail after briefly appearing Saturday in Queens Criminal Court on a third-degree assault charge. He is due back in court in May.
“I know him since he’s a kid. He’s a great young man,” Annie said of Deieso. “And our hearts are broken for the young fella that passed away. We understand that at the end of the day, somebody’s dead, and it’s a sad, sad, sad thing.”
“I watched him [grow] up. And he grew up to be a great man,” said another neighbor who didn’t want to be named. “He’s just a great young man.”
The victim lived just a few blocks away from the bar where he crossed paths with Deieso.
“This is killing me — It’s bad,” said Sean Deegan, 60, Deegan’s older brother. “My brother was a great man. I can’t believe this happened. Stuff escalates, and what are you gonna do?”
Deegan worked as a steamfitter specializing in waterproofing and roofing.
“What was I gonna think? I almost threw up,” Sean said about the moment he heard the news.
Neighbors referred to Deegan as the neighborhood nice guy who spent a large portion of his life caring for his ailing parents, who died in the early 2000s.
“He liked to go fishing, he did gardening, he liked animals — you know, he was just an all-around good guy, nice person to know,” said a neighbor who asked not to be named. “My kids liked him. Everybody liked Devin.”
At Deieso’s home on Saturday, family members peeked out through the blinds but did not answer the door for a Daily News reporter.
He could face upgraded charges if the city medical examiner’s office deems the death a homicide, officials said.