Actor George Pogatsia is no stranger to playing bad guys, and has appeared on award-winning TV shows like The Sopranos and Law & Order. But earlier this month, he played the role of a hero after saving a woman from a potential abduction.
Pogatsia called 911 about an attempted abduction near his home in Jersey City, New Jersey, on November 1, he told The Independent.
The actor recalled seeing a 19-year-old girl, who appeared intoxicated, with her cousin and a strange man. "This guy was just insistent on trying to get this girl to go with him," he said.
“The large man was being persistent about following them. He then took both the girl and her cousin by the hand and pulled them up the block.”
When he called the police, Pogatsia described the man’s location and said he was wearing all-black clothing, according to 911 audio obtained by TMZ.
As Pogatsia spoke with the dispatcher, he can be heard shouting: "Where you going, motherf*****? Where you going?”
Pogatsia also told the dispatcher the man had lifted the girl onto his shoulder and tried to run away with her.
“I ordered him to put her down and he ignored me. I repeated my demand louder the second time. I noticed that he had both arms around her legs and her torso swung over his left shoulder. The entire right side of his head was exposed to me so I moved in close, fist clenched, while yelling a warning to him. I explained what was about to happen if he didn’t put her down. He said, “Okay, okay!”, dropped her like a sack of potatoes and took off running.”
Pogatsia’s wife, Yolanda, was the first one to notice something was wrong and told the actor to follow him.
“In the beginning, when the large man was trying to coerce the woman into leaving and my wife was in the process of calling 911, he tried to scare the woman by telling her, “Don't let her call 911, ICE will detain you. ' He said this to her in Spanish. My wife, fortunately, is fluent in Spanish and understood every word and his bad intentions.”
The man ultimately got away. But thanks to Pogatsia, the police arrived and the young woman was safe.
President Donald Trump sent Pogatsia an appreciation letter on November 10, thanking him for his heroic efforts, according to NBC New York. The Independent has contacted the White House for comment.
“Because of your quick thinking and uncommon bravery, an innocent girl was saved from potential tragedy,” the letter reads. “You certainly channeled your prior experience on Law and Order to be prepared for this moment, and we are very grateful.”
“I initially thought that the letter I received from President Trump was a hoax. I didn’t believe it,” he admitted. “I reached out to a friend who used to work at the White House under Presidents Obama and during President Trump’s first term. She confirmed that the letter was legitimate. I found it pretty cool that the President of the United States of America sent me a letter acknowledging what I did. My late mom would be proud.”
Pogatsia guest-starred once on The Sopranos in 2007, and twice on Law & Order between 2004 and 2008, according to his IMDB page. Pogastia also wrote and directed Family on Board (2014). The short film featured actor Tony Sirico, who played Paulie Gualtieri on The Sopranos.
The Independent has contacted Pogatsia and the Jersey City Police Department for comment.
