A number of days ago, Woody Allen, a renowned filmmaker, found himself at a celebrated New York restaurant when a sudden medical emergency unfolded. A man began to choke, and the senior director acted swiftly to save a life by performing the Heimlich maneuver on a friend in distress.
The Heimlich maneuver is a first aid technique used when the airway is blocked by a lodged piece of food. When breathing becomes blocked, a person cannot speak, cough, or vocalize effectively, and the life-saving move often comes down to a quick, decisive squeeze below the ribcage to dislodge the obstruction.
The moment occurred at Caravaggio, a beloved Italian dining spot frequented by Allen. The 87-year-old Oscar winner rose from his seat, reached out to his companion Andrew Stein, who is 76, and helped him clear a piece of meat that had become stuck. Witnesses reported the rapid sequence of actions that followed, noting the diners around them including prominent attorney Alan Dershowitz and Allen’s partner Soon-Yi Previn, who were stunned by the sudden crisis.
According to observers at the restaurant, Allen executed the maneuver with surprising strength and steadiness, and the group exhaled in relief as Stein began to regain air and composure. Stein later expressed gratitude toward Allen, describing the moment as life-saving and likening it to a scene out of one of the director’s films. He noted that he had recently chosen a pork dish, and that a piece of meat had become lodged, triggering a panic that was only alleviated by the quick action of his friend. Page Six later captured Stein’s words, underscoring the profound impact of the intervention.
Stein, who previously served as mayor of the New York City Council from 1986 to 1994, remarked on the unsettling experience and how quickly the danger passed once help arrived. The diners in the surrounding area watched as the scene unfolded, recognizing the seriousness of a choking emergency and the calm, practical response that followed. The exchange that took place in those moments reflected a rare blend of theater and necessity that has characterized Allen’s public persona for decades.
Charitable recollections from the restaurant suggest that this incident was not a one-off for the filmmaker. In 1992, a dining companion reportedly helped save the life of a fellow guest during a meal at Primola on Second Avenue, when bread threatened to compromise another diner’s breathing. That event was widely reported, and it helped forge a lasting friendship between the two men involved while highlighting the importance of quick first aid responses in crowded dining settings. The memory remained a talking point in subsequent discussions about teamwork and presence of mind in everyday crises.
As for the author’s reflections, Allen is known for weaving real-life moments into his broader creative work. In his book Side Effects, a collection of essays from the late 1970s, he touches on themes of human vulnerability and the fragility of life, often through a slightly irreverent lens. In one fictional meditation, he imagines a scenario where a life-saving hug is tied to an unexpected obstacle, offering a reminder that resilience can surface in the most ordinary moments. The anecdote about Stein’s near-miss captures a similar sentiment: a moment of peril resolved by a friend’s calm presence and practical action, leaving those involved with a renewed appreciation for the everyday acts that sustain life. The incident stands as a vivid reminder that heroism can occur far from the glare of the spotlight and that quick, life-preserving interventions have real, lasting impact.