A pair of North Shore men are charged with beating a street cleaning truck operator with a hammer and a football during an early morning attack near Government Center, Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley said today.

PIERO G. PROCOPIO (D.O.B. 3/7/84) of Lynn and CRAIG S. STRASNICK (D.O.B. 2/9/87) of Nahant were arraigned in the Boston Municipal Court this morning on one count of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon each. Acting on a recommendation by Assistant District Attorney David Givskud, Judge Mark Hart Summerville set bail at $2500 for Procopio and $1000 for Strasnick.

Also at Givskud’s recommendation, Summerville ordered both men to stay away from and have no contact with the victim, a 20-year-old Hanson man employed by American Cleaners, while the case is pending.

Givskud told the court that the victim was operating a street cleaning vehicle at about 1:00 this morning near the intersection of Sudbury Street and John F. Fitzgerald Surface Road downtown when Strasnick, driving a white 2007 Cadillac Escalade, pulled in front of him and blocked his path.

Strasnick and Procopio allegedly exited their vehicle and began assaulting the victim. Procopio allegedly used a hammer to beat the victim in the arm and chest, while Strasnick allegedly threw a football at his face before driving away.

Boston Police on routine patrol in the area responded to the scene and spoke with the victim, who described the assailants and their vehicle. In short order, officers observed Strasnick’s Escalade at the intersection of North Washington and Thatcher streets and ordered the men from the vehicle.

The officers brought the victim to the area for an identification procedure at which he identified Strasnick and Procopio as the men who had attacked him. The men were taken into custody, the Escalade was towed, and a subsequent inventory of the vehicle led to the recovery of a hammer in the driver’s side door compartment and a football beneath a jacket on the floor of the rear passenger’s side.

The victim was evaluated by emergency medical technicians at the scene, suffering from cuts and swelling on his face, arms, and chest. He later checked himself into an area hospital for treatment of cuts, bruises, and contusions; he has since been released.

Caroline Carollo is the DA’s assigned victim-witness advocate. Attorney Daniel Toscano represents Strasnick and appeared on Procopio’s behalf for bail purposes only. The case will return to court on Nov. 4.