Senator Grisanti and wife recover from altercation

NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WIVB) - State Senator Mark Grisanti and his wife are recovering after getting punched at the Seneca Casino in Niagara Falls Friday night.

It was more than just a punch, it was a brutal attack .

Maria Grisanti told News 4 Saturday afternoon, "I thought I was going to die."

The Grisantis were just heading home. They'd been at the casino to see their oldest daughter sing with The Scintas at the Seneca Diabetes Foundation black-tie gala.
    
As they walked through the lobby, Senator Grisanti says he noticed two Native American men looking like they were about to fight.
    
He tried to get between them.
    
According to Grisanti, when the men found out who he was, one of them punched him in the ribs.
    
As he was doubled over, Grisanti says he felt someone else punch the side of his head.
    
At the same time all of this was happening, two women jumped on top of Maria Grisanti, grabbed her hair, and began pounding her face into the floor.

State Senator Mark Grisanti said, "He basically asked who I was, in a certain fashion. And I didn't answer him. And he asked again, and I said, "I'm Mark Grisanti. I'm a New York State Senator. And he made a comment like, "You haven't done (blank) for the Senecas," and then punched me in the rib."

"I didn't even know what hit me. All I knew was, I hit the ground. I was down, and there were two girls on top of me. [They] straddled me, picked me up by my head and just kept continuously slamming," added Maria Grisanti. "I literally heard the hair being ripped out of my head."

Maria Grisanti has a concussion, and bruising around her eyes and nose.

Senator Grisanti was not seriously hurt.

Both Niagara Falls Police and the Seneca Nation are investigating the incident.

Grisanti and Seneca Nation President Robert Porter spoke with each other by phone Saturday morning. Grisanti tells News 4 he does not hold the Senecas accountable for what happened.

"I was upset to hear about what transpired at our Niagara Falls property..." reads a statement from President Porter. "I want to express my personal sympathies to the senator and his wife Maria, who attended my inauguration on the senator's behalf in November 2010. We hope she is faring well and is on a speedy path to recovery."

According to a Niagara Falls Police Department press release, “Niagara Falls Police are currently reviewing the situation and investigating any and all facts to determine what, exactly, took place. This includes interviewing those involved as well as Seneca casino employees and video footage. Once the facts are determined, the Niagara Falls Police Department will decide what course of action to take, if any.”

The Grisantis have not made a decision about pressing charges.