Former Anthrax singer Dan Nelson was involved in an altercation with two elderly men that led to assault charges in September 2019. Nelson appeared in court on January 17 and pleaded guilty to charges of one count of second degree assault for injuring a victim aged 65 or older and one count of assault, added later, of recklessly causing physical injury. Sentencing is scheduled for April 3. 

According to a report by the Daily News, Nelson, 43, got metal-thrashing mad at two men, ages 73 and 74, in the Aloft Hotel near LaGuardia Airport about 11:30 PM on August 30, according to police.

“One of the elderly gentlemen said something which caused (Nelson) to become enraged and he subsequently punched them,” the NYPD said.

That something? “You had a rough night,” James Paolino, 74, one of the alleged victims, said he told the singer.

Paolino told the Daily News that he and his buddy, Philip Falcone, 73, went to the hotel because one of their friends was covering for Nelson’s regular drummer during a performance at the hotel. Nelson, he said, appeared too drunk to perform properly.

"He’s whacked. He can’t even tune his guitar. He had been drinking non-stop,” Paolino told The News.

After the show, Paolino and Falcone shared an elevator with Nelson, and that’s when he uttered the “rough night” remark, he said.

“He started kicking me and punching me in the head. These were real MMA (mixed martial arts) kicks. He knocked me down. I’m on the floor bleeding,” Paolino said. “He broke my glasses and I knew the next kicks were coming for my head. I’m helpless.”