Monday night at Bartini in Babylon went from laid-back to life-or-death in a heartbeat when co-owner and longtime open-mic host Dave Drew collapsed mid-song during the bar’s regular performance night. Patrons and staff rushed to help as he suffered what his family described as a massive "widow-maker" heart attack, and a nearby officer jumped in with CPR and a defibrillator. Drew, 67, was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital and is reported to be in critical but stable condition. The collapse came as he was singing a tune that includes the lyric "Time Waits for No One."
How the rescue unfolded
According to ABC7 New York, customers sprinted out of the bar to flag down First Precinct Officer Michael Pascale, who happened to be on patrol nearby. Pascale grabbed his department defibrillator, delivered a shock and began CPR until EMS arrived. Paramedics then rushed Drew to Good Samaritan Hospital in Suffolk County, where station reporting says he remains critical but stable. "I don't feel like a hero. I think I was at the right place at the right time," Pascale told the station.
Long-running open mic and the man behind it
Bartini lists a weekly Monday open mic on its events page, and local event directories credit Dave Drew as the regular host, turning the night into a small but steady fixture on Babylon's music calendar. The venue's schedule shows the session continues to pull in local musicians and singers, a reminder of how quickly an ordinary neighborhood hangout turned into a medical emergency. Neighbors say Drew is a familiar face at the bar and on the village’s small stages.
What a "widow-maker" means and why seconds mattered
The term "widow-maker" commonly refers to a severe blockage of the left anterior descending artery, which can trigger sudden cardiac arrest and rapid deterioration, the Cleveland Clinic explains. Early CPR and defibrillation are critical to survival, and the American Heart Association notes a victim's chance of survival drops roughly 7 to 10 percent for every minute that passes without defibrillation. In cases like this, quick action by bystanders and fast access to an AED can be the thin line between life and death.
Neighbors, family and staff respond
Co-owner Dawn Riolo told ABC7 New York that Drew "loves his music" and performed many songs with his late wife. Family members said the collapse came "mid-sentence" and that they are holding out hope. The station also reports Drew is battling stage-4 colon cancer, a detail the family shared as they wait for updates from hospital staff. Patrons and employees described deep gratitude for the officer's fast intervention and say they are pulling hard for the longtime local performer as he recovers.
