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Mike Tyson, you’ve got some competition.
A night out at a Jersey Shore bar turned into a bloody nightmare when a Toms River man allegedly bit off a large portion of another man’s ear during a savage brawl.
Michael D. Barone, 35, of Toms River, and John P. Hafner, 34, of Point Pleasant Beach, face aggravated assault and disorderly conduct charges following the late-night confrontation at Boatyard401, a casual beach-themed restaurant and bar, according to Patch.com.
According to Assistant Ocean County Prosecutor Elizabeth Paterno, the trouble began when a woman asked the two men to stop following her around the bar.
The victim stepped in to help her, but about 30 minutes later, prosecutors allege, the situation exploded into violence.
Barone allegedly slapped and choked the victim before biting off a large chunk of his ear. The victim was knocked to the floor, where Hafner allegedly punched him repeatedly until someone pulled him away.
Prosecutors said surveillance cameras captured the attack and bar staff identified the men.
The bloodied victim was rushed to a hospital, where responding police officers observed that he was covered in blood and a substantial portion of his ear was missing.
He will require multiple surgeries to repair the gruesome injury, Paterno told Superior Court Judge Dina Vicari during the Oct. 16 detention hearings.
But Barone’s attorney, Scott Cohen, disputed the biting allegations, arguing that his client stands four to five inches taller than the victim.
“I honestly don’t think it was my client,” Cohen told the court, according to Patch.
Despite the disturbing allegations, Judge Vicari ordered both defendants released under strict pretrial monitoring.
Their movements will be restricted to work, with Barone also permitted to leave home for visits with his child.
Future court dates were not available. The Post’s calls to the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, attorney Scott Cohen, Michael D, Barone and John Hafner were unsuccessful or not returned.