By ,
Published January 13, 2015
It was a heartfelt, if belated, apology.
A man who mugged a stranger on the steps of the American Museum of Natural History 35 years ago finally got to say sorry after recognizing his victim on a random Facebook post.
Michael Goodman, 53, says he was a teenager when he held up Claude Soffel, 52, for his bus pass in the late 1970s — an incident that haunted him throughout his life.
Decades later, he spotted Soffel’s name in a Facebook post about shuttered shop H&H Bagels. He knew writing in the comments section was his chance to finally seek forgiveness.
"You may not remember this … but a long, long time ago I walked up the steps of [the museum] one afternoon, trying to look like a tough guy," Goodman posted on Nov. 19.
"I have never forgotten the incident or your name … then here I am … reading about my favorite bagel store in the world closing down, and [whose] name do I see but yours," Goodman wrote in the Facebook group "NYC West 89th Street Soldiers & Sailors Monument Alumni – 1970’s."
"Finally I can say — I’M VERY SORRY that you had to go through that crap that day long ago."
Soffel, now a life coach in Sag Harbor, remembered the teenage mugger and accepted his apology.
"Clearly you’re a 'bigger man' today," Soffel responded in the comments section. "Memory is a funny thing. I recognize your name now as well."
Soffel runs a business called the Braveheart Institute, where he coaches men on developing their fathering skills. He could not be reached for comment.
Click for the story from the New York Post
https://www.foxnews.com/us/mugger-apologizes-to-victim-on-facebook-35-years-later