Pistol-whip victim's support fund

I was as distressed as everyone else to read that an artist manager from CAMI, the biggest classical agency, was robbed in broad daylight on a busy Manhattan sidewalk after withdrawing $100,000 from a nearby bank, or $150,000 according to the New York Post.

That anyone should want to attack a fine upstanding artist manager, day or night, will be a mystery to all decent readers.

And what Mr Seton Ijams was doing with that amount of cash in his sack might be an even greater mystery.

After all, we have been assured time and time again that classical music is a respectable business these days with no brown-envelope payouts or tax-dodge kickbacks.

My guess is Mr Ijams, who looks after Marvin Hamlisch among others, must have had a lot of taxi drivers waiting to be tipped along the street, with maybe a waiter or two and a milkman. These people just won't take a credit card. That's how it is.

Anyhow, I'm launching an appeal for all artist agents who have been mugged in broad daylight, poor things (that's nebbich in New York).

Donations, please, in used bills only.

No artists need apply.