Beloved West Village Butcher Gives Black Delivery Driver A Noose As A Present; Driver Unhappy With Gift

NY Post- A well-known butcher in the West Village is being investigated by cops for allegedly handing a noose to an African-American delivery driver and saying “Here’s your present.”

Joe Ottomanelli, of The Ottomanelli Bros. Butcher Shoppe, has been accused of giving the noose made from yellow rope to driver Victor Sheppard, according to police sources.

Sheppard, who was at the shop making a delivery, took the alarming object to police at the 6th Precinct Station House.

Sheppard told police the butcher exclaimed “Here’s your present” and “You can use it when you’re stressed and need to end it all,” according to police sources.

Everybody makes bad jokes. The problem with a gag gift is that the gift stands as evidence of the bad joke. Gilbert Arenas learned this lesson the hard way when he brought his arsenal into the Wizards’ locker room and told his teammate to choose which gun would shoot him. Hilarious gag, but 4 guns are quite a lot of evidence.

Joe Ottomanelli, the friendly neighborhood butcher, probably thought handing his delivery guy a noose was a great gag. “You can use it when you’re stressed and need to end it all” makes me think the racial implications didn’t register in his mind. That statement is a reflection of the times, a joke about how we should all just kill ourselves given how shitty our lives are. A noose is so old-fashioned that it might be funny to the right guy? I’m stretching here.

Buuuuuut it sorta takes on a different meaning when you hand it to a black guy. A noose conjures up a lot of bad feelings. A lot. Stick to breading cutlets Joe; leave the comedy to the professionals.