"I hope he is okay" was the reaction from customers Friday night
after learning Mark Iocono was in the hospital recovering from
multiple stab wounds.  Witnesses told police they saw a man
holding a knife standing over Iocono stabbing him repeatedly as
he lie on the ground here on Smith Street Friday afternoon.  The
renowned chef who has served Beyonce and Jay-Z was rushed to the
hospital with stab wounds to his back stomach and thigh.  The
knife-weilding attacker took himself to hospital, leaving a
trail of blood, even smearing the emergency room doors.
Authorities say that man is ex-con Benny Geritano -- a reputed
Genovese mob associate who is still on probation for his role in
a nationwide bank robbery spree.  Geritano has been charged with
attempted murder, four counts of assault, menacing, criminial
possession of a weapon and harrasment.  Now, there's the twist
-- Iocono is now being charged with attempted murder as well as
all the other charges Geritano faces.  In what appeared to be a
vicious unprovoke