The son of two revered music producers is accused of stabbing and slashing three men in a Manhattan bar over the weekend, according to a report.
Arlo Willner, 20, was arrested outside Sally’s Bar on Lexington Avenue near East 29th Street in Kips Bay in the early hours of Saturday morning, according to the NYPD.
The defendant has pleaded not guilty to an attempted murder charge, two counts of first-degree assault, and one count of criminal possession of a weapon during his arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court.
The New York Post was the first to name Willner as the son of Hal Willner, the late Saturday Night Live music coordinator, and his widow Sheila Rogers, a former Emmy-winning producer for The Late Show with David Letterman.
Arlo Willner was accused of starting a verbal altercation outside the bar at approximately 3.30 a.m. Saturday, after allegedly having approached three men and asked to buy cocaine, according to a criminal complaint.
The victims informed the defendant “that this is not the place for that,” which led to Willner pulling out a pocket knife, per the filing.
A 46-year-old victim suffered a deep laceration to the neck and severe bleeding, according to the complaint. It said that another 45-year-old victim was stabbed in the shoulder while a third victim in their 30s was slashed in the stomach.
One of the victims allegedly managed to wrestle the knife from Willner and tossed it in the street.
Two of the victims were taken to the nearby Bellevue Hospital, though their condition remains unclear.
Willner was initially charged with assault and criminal-possession-of-a-weapon before charges were upgraded.
Online jail records show that he was released on a $200,000 bond, which celebrity bondsman Ira Judelson secured, The Post reported. His next court appearance is scheduled for Thursday.
Hal Willner passed away on April 7, 2020, a day after his 64th birthday, from COVID-19 complications. The producer, nicknamed “the man with the golden Rolodex,” worked on Saturday Night Live from 1980 until his death. He was recently remembered in the NBC documentary 50 Years of SNL Music, which came out earlier this year.
He started his career choosing recorded music for sketches and brought a string of high-profile guests to the show, including jazz musician Miles Davis.
Outside coordinating his all-star ensembles for the late-night show, Willner also recorded albums and performed live for a roster of revered artists, including Lou Reed, the former frontman of The Velvet Underground.
According to her LinkedIn profile, the defendant’s mother, Sheila Rogers, also worked as a supervising producer for The Late Late Show with James Corden between 2015 and 2023, having previously worked on David Letterman’s show.
