NYPD identifies ‘person of interest’ wanted for randomly slugging actor Steve Buscemi on NYC street

The NYPD has launched a manhunt for a “person of interest” in the random attack on beloved Big Apple actor Steve Buscemi, authorities and law enforcement sources told The Post.

The cowardly thug cold-cocked the “Boardwalk Empire” star in Kips Bay last week while he was walking down the street, leaving him with a black eye and a swollen cheek.

Surveillance photos released by police show the brute — as does a video clip obtained by The Post.

Police identified the person of interest as Clifton Williams, 50.

The 66-year-old actor was sporting a shiner when he was last seen Saturday shooting a commercial in Soho, with his left cheek still visibly swollen from the unprovoked punch.

A worker at a building near the scene said the attack was captured on surveillance video.

“The guy just came up to him and punched him on the side of the head for no reason,” the worker said, describing the incident. “[Buscemi] didn’t see anything. He went straight to the ground and the guy kept going.

“[Buscemi] got right back up with an expression like, ‘What just happened?’ and looked toward the guy who’d hit him,” the worker said. “The guy shouted something back at him and kept going.”

The actor has declined to comment on the incident, but his publicist issued a statement earlier this week.

“Steve Buscemi was assaulted in Mid-Town Manhattan, another victim of a random act of violence in the city,” the publicist said in a statement Sunday. “He is OK and appreciates everyone’s well wishes, though incredibly sad for everyone that this has happened while also walking the streets of New York.”

Buscemi, a Brooklyn native who served as a New York City firefighter before launching his acting career, is beloved in the Big Apple for his down-to-earth celebrity.

His career has spanned nearly four decades, and has included hit films like “Fargo,” “The Big Lebowski” and “Reservoir Dogs” — along with his more recent role in HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire.”