By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — An 82-year-old industrial designer who was brutally mugged in front of an Upper West Side brownstone in broad daylight died Thursday morning, a friend told DNAinfo.
Gerald Abramovitz, who designed a lamp that's featured in the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection, died about 4 a.m. Thursday at Mount Sinai Hospital, said his longtime friend, Gene Koretz.
If an autopsy reveals that Abramovitz's death was a direct result of the May 25 mugging on tree-lined West 89th Street, the robbery investigation could become a murder case, a police source said.
A spokeswoman for the city's Medical Examiner said they expected to conduct an autopsy on Friday morning and the results would be available Friday afternoon.
Abramovitz suffered a massive brain hemorrhage two days after he was beaten and knocked to the ground by a mugger who followed him into the vestibule of the brownstone where Koretz lives.
Abramovitz was left sprawled on the floor, bleeding profusely from his mouth, nose and ear, said Koretz, who discovered his friend in the entryway.
Koretz, who was Abramovitz's emergency contact and health proxy, said doctors at Mount Sinai ran several tests on Abramovitz when he was treated there on May 25, but did not give the elderly artist a CT scan.
A hospital spokeswoman declined to discuss the case because of patient privacy laws.
Two days later, Abramovitz became weak and dizzy. He returned to Mount Sinai, where a CT scan revealed a brain hemorrhage, Koretz said.
It's not clear that the mugging and the hemorrhage are directly linked, but Koretz said he's sure the assault caused Abramovitz's death.
"There's no question in my mind that that's what caused it," Koretz, 80, said. "We've lost such a vibrant person and someone that was important in our lives."
Police are offering a $2,000 reward, and friends of Abramovitz say they'll increase the amount to $5,000 for information that leads to the capture of his attacker.
The suspect approached Abramovitz from behind about 5:20 p.m. on West 89th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue on May 25.
People with tips should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-8477.
Texts can also be sent to CRIMES (274637), then TIP577 or by logging on to the Crime Stoppers website. All calls are strictly confidential.
